Chapter 424: The Raiden Shogun — Beelzebul
Natsume took a sip of her drink, organizing her thoughts. "About Ei... didn't I mention she holds an incredibly high seniority? When she initiated the decree, she was strictly demanding her own subordinates—her juniors—hand over their Visions. She had absolutely no intention of interfering with Venti's or Zhongli's people. Besides, on the surface, no one suffered any fatal losses, so technically speaking, she shouldn't be breaking any laws, right?"
Though, now that she thought about it... did Inazuma even have a functioning legal code for something like that? Curiosity getting the better of her, Natsume mentally nudged her system guide. 'Hey, Paimon. Does Inazuma have laws against that?'
[Paimon doesn't know either!] the little pixie's voice echoed in her mind, sounding entirely too unapologetic. [Traveler, if you're really that curious, you'll just have to find a way to summon Yanfei. You can ask Liyue's top legal advisor yourself!]
Paimon puffed out her chest with absolute confidence in the mental space. [At the very least, she'd definitely look into it. Think about it—if people from other nations had legal disputes with Liyue merchants, Yanfei would be at a huge disadvantage if she didn't understand international law! Besides, she's a half-illuminated beast with the blood of an adeptus running through her veins. She's lived for a long time, so she has to know a lot of things!]
Natsume blinked, staring into the void with newfound respect. 'Paimon... what you just said makes so much logical sense, it doesn't even sound like something you'd say.'
[Traveler!] Paimon shrieked, metaphorically stomping her little boots. [Are you even praising me right now?!]
Across the table, Amuro Toru maintained his pleasant, customer-service smile, though his sharp mind was rapidly dissecting every detail Natsume casually dropped. The Inazuma branch of the Teyvat Organization was highly xenophobic and had been operating under a strict lockdown for an extended period. This perfectly aligned with the intelligence Glenlivet had provided. It seemed the credibility of Glenlivet's reports was steadily increasing.
However, a nagging suspicion tugged at his thoughts. Cointreau's younger sister was somehow deeply involved with several high-ranking department heads of the Teyvat Organization. Could such a thing truly be a mere coincidence?
No matter how he turned the puzzle pieces over in his head, Amuro couldn't buy it. The Black Organization didn't believe in coincidences. So, was Natsume already an established insider within the Teyvat Organization, or was this mysterious syndicate deliberately orbiting her for an ulterior motive?
, Natsume had explicitly stated she met Venti, Kaeya, and Zhongli in completely different locations. Yet, here they were, appearing in Japan one after another like a coordinated strike. What exactly was the overarching purpose of these Teyvat executives flocking to Japanese soil? Would their presence threaten national security?
While a storm of interrogations brewed behind Amuro's calm facade, Natsume smoothly continued her tale of adventure.
"I mentioned earlier that Kazuha wanted to change Ei's mind," she said, leaning forward slightly. "Actually, he wasn't alone in that endeavor. Ayaka, Ayato, and several others shared the exact same goal. Even Miko stepped out of the shadows to provide crucial assistance."
"In order to prepare me to face her, Miko specifically designed the 'Anti-Raiden E... Ei Training'just for me." Natsume caught herself at the last second, secretly rejoicing. That was close. I almost said'Anti-Raiden Shogun Training'.
Just the mere mention of the grueling regimen made a phantom ache flare in her muscles. The memory remained entirely too fresh. Even now, thinking back to that cursed mechanism, a montage of painful, electro-charged explosions flashed before her eyes. It brought back the distinct, soul-crushing urge to just give up and throw her weapon into the sea.
"'Anti-Raiden Ei Training'?" Sonoko tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "What exactly does that entail?"
"Could it be a specialized regimen designed to teach you how to defeat Miss Raiden, Natsume-neechan?" Conan speculated, adjusting his oversized glasses.
Beneath his childish facade, the young detective's mind raced. Is it really as straightforward as it sounds? Isn't Yae Miko supposed to be a close friend of Raiden Ei? Would she truly invest so much time and effort just to help Natsume-neechan take down her own friend?
, it certainly hadn't seemed that way during their recent trip to Osaka. The Kamisato siblings had acted incredibly respectful toward Ei. Conan hadn't expected them to be orchestrating a rebellion behind her back.
"Ei's combat style is devastating, but her attacks actually follow a highly specific pattern," Natsume explained, gesturing with her hands. "Miko designed a mechanical training mode based entirely on those lethal patterns. The logic was that as long as I survived all the training phases, I would gradually adapt to her rhythm. That way, when I faced the real deal, I wouldn't be caught off guard."
"Is that kind of hyper-specific training really effective?" Ran asked, her eyes widening. As a martial artist, she couldn't help but wonder if she should incorporate similar pattern-recognition drills into her karate routines to counter specific tournament opponents.
"It's extremely useful," Natsume nodded emphatically.
It truly was. Thanks to that torturous machine, Natsume had at least managed to dodge and stall for significantly longer against the Raiden Shogun before ultimately getting overpowered.
Sonoko gasped, her excitement bubbling over. She balled her hands into fists at her chest, her eyes sparkling as she drifted into a dramatic fantasy. "Oh! Are you like one of those peerless masters from martial arts dramas? After suffering a crushing defeat, instead of wallowing in despair, you buried yourself in silent, diligent cultivation! Then, when the time was finally ripe, you challenged her to a rematch. You kept a perfectly calm, composed expression, and with just a few casual flicks of your wrist, you completely obliterated your powerful enemy!"
Natsume coughed into her fist, a deeply awkward flush creeping up her neck. "Sonoko... I'm afraid I'm going to have to burst your bubble. In reality, I was in a pretty pathetic state during that fight. I was dodging for my life. In the end, if it hadn't been for a special charm Miko gave me, I absolutely would have lost to Ei a second time."
Amuro raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "Miss Raiden is truly that skilled in combat?"
No wonder, he thought to himself. If her martial prowess is that overwhelming, it makes perfect sense why she could maintain a self-imposed isolation within the organization for so long. Even the boss of the Teyvat Organization was likely helpless to force her hand.
"Yeah." Natsume nodded, a trace of lingering fear flashing in her golden eyes. "But don't worry. When looking at the final result, I still came out slightly ahead. I managed to use... physical methods to convince Ei to abolish her Vision Hunt Decree."
"It sounds like everything ended happily. A hard-fought, but good conclusion," Amuro summarized, offering a warm, charming smile.
Subconsciously, the undercover agent assumed that Natsume's grand travels had reached their finale. After all, she had previously mentioned meeting Ei and the others right here in Japan.
Amuro naturally pieced together a timeline: after arriving in Japan and reuniting with her eccentric associates, Natsume had temporarily settled down in Beika Ward to follow clues regarding her missing brother. That was likely how she had gradually integrated herself into the Mouri family's orbit.
He had absolutely no idea that the conclusion of the Inazuma incident was merely a stepping stone. He didn't know she had gone on to brave the dense rainforests of Sumeru and handle the complex political waters of Fontaine.
Unfortunately for the Public Security Bureau, Amuro failed to consider this possibility. Because he didn't ask, a massive trove of critical intelligence slipped right through his fingers.
Amuro paused, his gaze sharpening slightly as he looked at Natsume. "Actually, I remember you mentioning a statue earlier. You said the Visions confiscated by Miss Raiden were eventually embedded into a massive statue. I'm quite curious... would someone as overwhelmingly powerful as Miss Raiden actually believe in a higher power? Whose god does that statue represent?"
"Um..." Natsume hesitated, her brow furrowing in conflict. How was she supposed to explain this? Should she say Ei believed in a god, or that she was the god?
But she could at least answer the second part of his question without breaking her cover. "The statue represents the Electro Archon," she said softly, her voice carrying a heavy weight. "Beelzebul."
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