Raiden Ei's body suddenly tensed.
Everything was happening too suddenly, too bizarrely.
Even for Raiden, who sat upon a divine throne, it was impossible to comprehend what had occurred.
Ye Feng strolled over, casual and composed, wearing a smile as pleasant as a spring breeze. In fact, the Start of Spring had just passed not long ago; it was a time when the warmth was just beginning to fight back the chill.
Raiden Ei stood her ground, her body and mind stretched taut.
Ye Feng waved his hand dismissively. "There is no need for ceremony. Although this one's status is noble and supreme, I have come here with the desire to tour the mortal realm incognito. I have taken a liking to your appearance. From now on, you are my personal attendant maid. Do not worry; should we encounter danger, I will act."
"?"
What ceremony would I be performing for you?
That was Raiden Ei's first reaction.
She immediately realized the second problem... Maid? Me?
Raiden Ei's gaze sharpened, a faint light of lightning flickering around her body. "I do not understand what you are saying."
"You don't understand the meaning of 'maid'? A maid's primary duties are to manage her master's household chores and satisfy her master's needs..."
"Insolent cur!"
She was Teyvat's most majestic and terrifying incarnation of lightning, the supreme ruler of the Inazuma Shogunate.
And someone was spouting such arrogant nonsense, wanting to take her as a maid.
This was no longer a provocation; it was an insult.
Baalzebul, also known as the "God of War," instinctively reached for her naginata.
But her hand froze in mid-air.
To her horror, she discovered that her "divine power" had vanished completely.
Never mind summoning the "Engulfing Lightning," she couldn't even sense the elements.
She had actually become a frail human...
Raiden Ei didn't know what it felt like to be human, but she felt that her current state was probably it.
Ye Feng slowly walked forward and leisurely raised his hand.
A shadow fell across Raiden Ei's fair face, and she felt a powerful sense of pressure.
But Raiden Ei did not retreat. She held her head high with stubborn pride, her expression not faltering in the slightest.
Even without the power she prided herself on, Raiden Ei's will still shone like lightning.
Ye Feng plucked a small, bluish-purple flower from her hair.
"Hm? It's a real flower? I thought it was a hair ornament."
Ye Feng held it to his nose and took a light sniff. A faint, clean fragrance entered his nostrils.
It was not the scent of the flower, but the scent of Raiden Ei's hair.
"It's a bellflower. It symbolizes eternal love and hopeless love, carrying a thick tone of tragedy. It is the eternity of life and death, the mad dance of despair and darkness, the symbiosis of loneliness and pain. It seems we are truly fated. I happen to like Kikyo the most as well."
Ye Feng would occasionally wonder what supreme bliss it would be to place his forearm between Kikyo's white tabi socks and red-stringed geta sandals. —After all, Ye Feng's greatest characteristic was his insatiable spirit of exploration.
As the two stood close, Ye Feng was like a furnace, the heat he radiated through his clothes causing Raiden Ei's breath to catch.
She could no longer withstand it. She took a small half-step back, creating some distance, and only then could she breathe a little more easily.
So it isn't just great power; the proximity of the opposite sex can also bring such immense pressure?
"So, have you made up your mind? Will you be my personal maid?" Ye Feng asked, twirling the bellflower he had plucked from Ei's head.
Raiden Ei's gaze was heavy as she said coldly, "And if I refuse?"
"Oh, so it's not 'I refuse,' but a question of what happens if you refuse?"
Ye Feng smiled. "Ei, your blade has grown dull."
"!!"
A jolt of shock went through Raiden Ei's heart.
Indeed. Faced with such an insolent demand, as the Raiden Shogun, even if she didn't strike him down with divine punishment, she should have refused him outright.
But instead, she had chosen her words to leave room for negotiation.
Was this... cowardice?
Ah, so I am afraid.
Raiden Ei frankly admitted her own weakness.
Just like five hundred years ago, she was powerless to do anything.
She could only watch as her sister died, as her dearest friends faded away one by one.
Ye Feng smiled. "Refuse... refusing just proves you don't want to. I'm not some kind of demon. I won't force you to do things you don't want to do, Ah Ei."
They had just met, and he was already calling her "Ah Ei" without a second thought.
His ability to be so forward was on par with the Pink Elf.
But Old Ye possessed none of Elysia's natural charm, nor did he have the ability to read the atmosphere and interject at the perfect moment.
Therefore, Raiden Ei simply frowned slightly. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"That's a given!"
Ye Feng said proudly, "Back in the day, I had over ten gigabytes of data on you, Ah Ei, collected in a folder on my computer."
"...?"
"As for me, my name is Ye Feng. I'm just a passing, ordinary magic user."
"Magic user?"
"That's right. 'Magic' is a 'matter' that cannot be achieved by gods or humans, whether through the means of miracles (idealism) or science (materialism)."
"..."
Raiden Ei stared blankly at Ye Feng.
A realm that even gods cannot reach...?
Old Ye couldn't help but say, "Ah Ei, you're a homebody, aren't you? This is the part where you're supposed to retort, 'Oh, so that's the Type-Moon explanation. I thought you were a "passing, ordinary magic user" from Gensokyo.' If you don't even have this level of basic knowledge, you're not quite qualified to be my personal maid."
Before Raiden Ei could speak, Ye Feng thoughtfully placed a sweating soybean emoji sticker above her head.
The homebody Ei stood her ground. Though she was without her power, she still possessed the majestic air of a superior who commanded respect without anger. She said indifferently, "Was I not clear enough? I refuse."
"Oh, is that so."
Ye Feng placed the bellflower back in her hair. "What a pity. However, a failure in negotiations doesn't represent an end; it is merely a prelude to the next time. Just as the passing of a life is nothing more than another beginning."
Raiden Ei's pupils contracted. "The passing of a life is another beginning... what do you mean?"
Ye Feng just smiled without answering and walked straight ahead.
Raiden Ei watched his back, then glanced at the unfamiliar surroundings. After a moment of hesitation, she followed him.
Ye Feng didn't really care what she did.
If she hadn't followed, he would have just gone to play with some other beautiful girl.
It's just that the "tone" of their first meeting had yet to be set. What would happen the next time they met would depend entirely on Ye Feng's mood at the time.
And there was no guarantee he would be as gentle as he was now.
Ye Feng walked in front, with Raiden Ei following his every step.
This little god among mortals observed her surroundings, trying to make sense of her current situation with the knowledge she possessed.
—Without a doubt, this was by no means Inazuma.
The architectural style... it seemed more like it was from "outside this world."
How had she switched "worlds" in the blink of an eye?
What confused her most was the body she was now piloting.
This was indeed her body, but it was her body from five hundred years ago, before she had turned herself into a puppet.
However, her ability to command the elements had completely vanished.
Logically, even if she had left Teyvat, she herself was a massive "reservoir" of elemental power. It shouldn't be possible for her to be unable to sense even a single trace of it.
Lost in thought, she unconsciously followed behind Ye Feng.
The two arrived at a building with the words "love hotel" written in glowing pink letters on the roof and entered a room facing the sea.
Even with floor-to-ceiling windows, the lighting in the room still had an ambiguous, hazy quality.
Ye Feng took a square, deep purple foil packet from the bedside table. It had "Mint Flavor" written on it.
He tore it open and handed it to the naive girl.
Raiden Ei took it, looked down, and could see oil glistening at the torn opening.
"What is this?"
Ye Feng smiled slyly. "Have a taste. This is one of the ways we show hospitality in our world."
Raiden Ei took the translucent, jelly-like object out of the torn, squarish plastic packet, pinching it between her index finger and thumb... She instinctively felt it was somewhat dirty.
After all, it was sticky and covered in some kind of oil with an unknown purpose.
"...This... is edible?"
"I suppose you could say that? But you can't swallow it."
"?"
Ye Feng explained, "How should I put it? It's like chewing gum. You can put it in your mouth and chew it, savoring it carefully. When the flavor is gone, you have to spit it out. Go on, Ah Ei, try it and see if it's mint-flavored."
Raiden Ei looked at the unknown gelatinous object in her hand. Although she felt some resistance, her cherry lips slowly parted.
After all, this was their way of showing hospitality.
Perhaps it was just a difference in customs?
Just like in Inazuma, when an honored guest arrived, a pot of fragrant tea would be brewed to entertain them.
Ei remembered that her sister loved drinking tea.
Since he was treating her with courtesy, she would not shy away, nor would she be impolite.
Raiden Ei slowly placed the oily, jelly-like object into her mouth and chewed. A cool sensation rushed to her head...
"How does it taste?" Ye Feng asked with a smile.
Perhaps due to the lighting, Raiden Ei didn't notice the mischievous glint hidden in Ye Feng's eyes.
Ei used her taste buds to sense it seriously and said, "I can't taste much of a flavor, but there is a cool sensation."
"Oh, I see. But, Ah Ei, you're eating it the wrong way."
"The wrong way?"
"Right."
Ye Feng opened another packet, this one peach-flavored, and held it up to demonstrate.
"See this outermost ring? The hard one. You need to hold it gently with your teeth, at least enough so that you can blow air into it... hmm? Yes, just like that. Ah Ei, you're a genius. You learned so quickly."
Raiden Ei just felt that this posture was strange, as if she were waiting for something to enter... this way, the thin layer would perfectly envelop whatever it was.
She wanted to spit the thing out of her mouth, but she felt that doing so would be extremely ill-mannered.
In the end, from the moment she started eating this thing... had she been in a disadvantageous position?
Raiden Ei stared intently at Ye Feng, wanting to see how he would handle the object after chewing it.
To her surprise, he handed his over to her.
Is he this hospitable?
Raiden Ei's speech was muffled. "...Aren't you... going to eat?"
"Oh, where I'm from, only women have the opportunity to put this in their mouths."
"?"
Why does that sound so strange?
What does he mean, "put it in their mouths"?
But before Raiden Ei could understand, Ye Feng spoke again. "Ah Ei, try this peach-flavored one. Don't eat it the wrong way this time. The opening of the ring should face outward."
"Mmph..."
"Oh, you still have one in your mouth. Spit it out, you can just tie it to your thigh."
Is this also a custom of this world?
Raiden Ei finally grew wary, but she couldn't just keep it in her mouth forever.
But to tie it to her thigh...
"Do you need my help?"
Before Raiden Ei could refuse, Ye Feng's fingers had already probed into her cherry lips. As if pulling taffy, he drew out the gelatinous object, now coated in her sweet saliva.
Then, he materialized a garter on the fair, absolute territory above her thigh-high stocking and tucked the object into it.
The slick sensation sent Raiden Ei into a daze.
"..."
Realization dawned on her. She abruptly took two steps back, glaring at Ye Feng angrily. "You—"
Ye Feng's eyes were clear, his expression innocent. He blinked. "What about me?"
"You... never mind. Do not touch me again."
Raiden Ei flicked her long sleeves and kept a safe distance from him.
--0--
Meanwhile, in the Valkyrie dorms at St. Freya High School.
Ye Feng's lover, Mei, was still asleep.
She was completely unaware of the changes that had taken place.
The first ray of morning sun, like a fine golden thread, slipped through the gap in the curtains and gently caressed the young woman's room.
The sunlight fell on her round, perky bottom and her youthful, firm abdomen. The curves there were soft and beautiful, and her skin appeared even more delicate and smooth under the rising sun, showcasing the vitality of youth and the rhythm of life.
The warmth of the sun gradually increased, bringing a touch of coziness to the room and awakening the slumbering maiden.
Mei's eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she could feel the light's gentle touch. Her body unconsciously turned, seeking a more comfortable position to welcome the impending wakefulness.
The young woman's eyes slowly opened, the initial haze of sleep flashing through them for a moment. The warmth of the sun passed through the thin bedsheets to her fair, rosy skin, bringing with it a trace of warmth that roused her dormant senses.
A faint smile graced the corners of her lips. The sensitive girl let out a soft breath as her body gradually awakened under the sun's caress, every cell brimming with vitality.
Mei stretched languidly. Her slender waist, so delicate one could encircle it with a single grasp, arched gracefully and then slowly relaxed. Her long, beautiful legs twisted naturally, as if responding to the sun's greeting. The entire movement was filled with youthful elasticity and alluring grace.
"Hi, Mei, you're awake."
A clear and lovely voice rang out. The Pink Elf stood in the morning glow.
Mei, still in a lazy, just-awakened state, was lying on her side on the soft silk mattress. Her figure was slender yet full of tension. She tilted her head to look at the girl who had appeared in her room.
"Elysia? Good morning."
"Hehe, now's not the time to be so relaxed. Do you know where Kiana went?"
"Kiana? Isn't she right... eh?"
Mei turned her head. The bed next to hers was empty.