Chapter 1

The continent of Teyvat!

Narukami Island! Inazuma City!

Above the eternal paradise ruled by one of the Seven Archons, the city situated on the massive island is exceptionally magnificent.

The intertwined cherry blossom trees bring a touch of warmth to the cool-toned city; perhaps because spring has just arrived, the falling petals still carry a hint of moisture.

If viewed from high above, the well-organized urban planning is flat and perfect, visible at a glance; it must have been the work of a master.

From the bustling commercial street of Hanamizaka to the town streets, and extending to the Tenryou Commission, which manages public security and the Shogunate's military equipment.

At the very end, overlooking all of this, is the supreme Tenshukaku.

That is the place where the most exceptional and noble being in this world, the Almighty Shogun, dwells.

At this moment, however, the high-ceilinged pavilion, which should be silent and majestic, echoes with frivolous laughter that does not match the tone of this place.

Above the pavilion!

The rosewood-floored room is laid with several clean bamboo mats, and on both sides, black wooden doors with intricately carved patterns block the breeze. They are adorned with golden fluorescent accents, and the "Three-Fold Tomoe of Electro" in the center shines brightly, giving a solemn and grand impression.

In the center, a large desk made of agarwood presses down on the bamboo mats, with a man and a woman sitting opposite each other.

"Judging by the time, the Mikoshi Nagamitsu Festival should be ending."

The young man, dressed in blue-black finery and possessing a demonic appearance, gazes into the distance at Mount Yougou, which is looming in the clouds, and pours himself a cup of clear sake.

"I didn't expect you to hand over your own duties to your sister; it seems you have become cunning without realizing it, Baal."

As he speaks, he looks at the one sitting directly across from him, the incarnation of this world's majestic thunder, one of the Seven Archons, the first Electro Archon—Raiden Makoto!

The Electro Archon's thick, purple-silk-like hair is adorned with a fan-shaped wisteria ornament; two strands drape over her shoulders, while the rest is braided, emitting a cold, lonely, and precious-metal-like shimmer amidst the complexity.

She wears a well-fitted and simple light purple kimono. The noble lines formed by her slender neck and exquisite collarbone are unfortunately quietly hidden by the fabric. The high-waisted red silk sash connects the top and bottom, and the front hem of the kimono is quite short, but the wide sleeves embroidered with thunder patterns shroud her spotless, fair, and bare legs in shadow.

Luo Li feels regret that the Electro Archon has not exposed even a sliver of skin; if she dressed in the form-fitting attire that highlights her figure like her sister Beelzebul, she might be even more attractive.

Unlike her sister Raiden Ei, who gives a first impression of being slightly dull and inarticulate, Raiden Makoto has a lively and gentle personality and is better at dealing with people. Of course, she also possesses the noble air and oppressive power of someone in a high position.

"Ah, there is an old saying in Liyue: 'He who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and he who stays near ink gets stained black.' It seems that becoming like this is likely the result of being subtly influenced by those around me."

Makoto stares at him, looking like she is watching the culprit, then waves her sleeve to cover the smile spreading at the corners of her mouth.

Unfortunately, the corners of her eyes, slightly upturned, have already betrayed her subtext.

Luo Li rolls his eyes: "Don't tell me you're blaming me?"

"I haven't named any names."

After the teasing, Makoto also follows his gaze toward Mount Yougou, whispering with a trace of imperceptible emotion.

"It can't be helped; after all, there isn't much time left. Sooner or later, I have to hand over how to handle these affairs to Ei, otherwise, when that time comes..."

Not until the soft words fade into the breeze does Luo Li pretend not to have heard and look out over the entire territory of Inazuma, sighing: "Speaking of which, time really flies. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of years have passed, and Inazuma has gone from a desolate wilderness to a peaceful land."

While talking to himself, he cannot help but fall into memories.

Like most people with similar interests, Luo Li is a traveler who likes Genshin Impact.

But the difference is that when he first transmigrated, he arrived on the continent of Teyvat three thousand years ago, in the ancient Mondstadt where the God of Storms and the Wolf of the North were still fighting for the position of the Anemo Archon.

At that time, Archons were rising everywhere in Teyvat, and natural and man-made disasters occurred frequently; it was extremely difficult for mortals to survive.

Fortunately, Luo Li awakened the Longevity Sign-in System; as long as he lived long enough, he could sign in every year to obtain various talent abilities or items.

After finally surviving the most difficult initial period, he finally had the ability to travel through this mysterious, magnificent, and charming world.

Over the past two thousand five hundred years, he has joined forces with a wisp of the thousand winds to overthrow the rule of the God of Storms, and has also worked with the Geo Archon to sweep across the eight wildernesses.

During this time, he witnessed the Nail of Cold Heaven falling from the high heavens onto the ancient kingdom of ice and snow, and also watched the decline of the glorious Lawrence clan.

It was not until hundreds of years ago that Luo Li crossed the sea to Inazuma, intending to start a new journey in this beautiful land where cherry blossoms drift.

And then... he was attracted by the twin sisters of the Raiden Shogun and chose to stay without hesitation, slowly blending into the Shogunate.

It was mainly to save many tragedies, not because he had covetous intentions.

"Fine, I just crave their bodies. I'm honest, I deserve to be praised!"

Silently glancing at Raiden Makoto, Luo Li calculates how much time is left until the future war of the destruction of Khaenri'ah.

At that time, the gentle woman before him will have to transform into the Sacred Sakura to protect Ei and Inazuma, and perish.

Even her close friends, Kitsune Saiguu and Mikoshi Chiyo, will die in the aftermath of this disaster, and all of Inazuma will suffer extremely heavy losses.

"What are you thinking about?"

When Luo Li comes back to his senses, he finds that Makoto has been looking at him with a probing expression for some time.

"I was thinking about why the Mikoshi Nagamitsu Festival hasn't ended yet; it hasn't taken this long in the past."

Finding a random excuse to brush it off, Luo Li leans against the soft cushion quite casually, without any of the restraint and respect of meeting a god in person.

Makoto smiles gently, not offended, and says: "After all, it is the first time Ei has presided over the festival herself, so it is inevitable that she is inexperienced and immature. Although she has Saiguu's help, it still takes time to slowly hone her skills."

The so-called Mikoshi Nagamitsu Festival is a tradition established after the Almighty Shogun crossed the sea and passed down the method of sword forging; after hundreds of years, mortals were finally able to create swords that satisfied the Shogun.

From then on, the Grand Narukami Shrine and the Shogunate established a divine ritual festival, taking the best-named precious swords in the world and offering them to the Shrine, naming them [Mikoshi Nagamitsu].

This is a top-tier event in Inazuma, and every time the sword-offering festival occurs, it is extremely lively.

Not only Inazuma City, but even the passing Chinju Forest is crowded with people, extending all the way to the destination, Mount Yougou, where the Grand Narukami Shrine is located.

"What you said is also true."

Luo Li echoes, wanting to continue speaking, but sees the wide sleeves covering Makoto's lower body move suddenly.

The two lower their gazes almost simultaneously.

After a moment, a fluffy pink-and-white head quietly pokes out from the sleeve, cautiously looking around with a look of ignorance.

"Ying ying?"

Perhaps just waking up, its soft little paws press against the hem of the clothes, and its lively golden vertical pupils still carry a bit of lingering confusion.

Immediately after, it meets a gaze full of malicious mischief from in front of it.

"Oh, finally awake, little thing?"