Ei remained silent, unsure of what to say.
Based on Yae Miko's account, Inazuma was indeed in a dire state.
And the Shogun had been deceived.
This frustrated her to no end.
She glanced at her sister, momentarily at a loss for words.
Makoto, seeing her sister's expression, couldn't suppress her anger any longer.
Thus began a classic scene of an elder sister reprimanding the younger.
Makoto wasn't about to actually hit Ei.
But a stern scolding was unavoidable.
Facing her most revered sister's reproach, Ei couldn't muster a defense.
Once her sister calms down, it'll be fine.
Watching Ei being chastised like a scolded child, Yae Miko's mood couldn't have been better.
"Sister, Lady Saiguu… how did you come back to life?"
After enduring the lecture, Ei finally seized the chance to ask.
"Let me explain."
Guizhong stepped forward.
Ei turned her gaze toward her, momentarily stunned.
"You are…?"
That aura—similar to her sister's?
Another resurrected being?
"I am Guizhong."
Hearing the name, Makoto blinked.
"The Dust Archon of Liyue?"
She had heard of Guizhong during her lifetime.
Ei, however, was taken aback.
Guizhong…
"All the deceased have been revived?"
She was utterly shocked.
This… this is…
"Yes."
"Our current state is known as Heroic Spirits."
Guizhong proceeded to explain the concept of Heroic Spirits.
As she elaborated, both Makoto and Lady Saiguu were astounded.
Such power exists?
This is beyond comprehension.
Is this truly our current form?
"Moreover, you now possess something called Noble Phantasms."
"Try sensing them?"
"To be honest, I'm far stronger now than when I was alive."
Guizhong couldn't help but marvel.
Being a Heroic Spirit was leagues above being an Archon.
The enhancements from Noble Phantasms were simply immense.
Listening to Guizhong, Makoto nodded thoughtfully.
She had already sensed it.
Her Noble Phantasm was none other than the Sacred Sakura itself.
Her oil-paper umbrella had also transformed into a Noble Phantasm, as had her sword.
Lady Saiguu was in a similar situation.
"Thank you."
Regardless of the circumstances, Jiang Chen had saved her sister.
"Ei, what exactly is going on with that Shogun puppet?"
"Explain it to me—thoroughly!"
Makoto brandished the branch meaningfully.
No explanations? Prepare for a spanking.
...
Ei met her sister's gaze, then sighed and laid everything bare.
The Raiden Shogun had been created after Makoto's death.
Its purpose was to pursue eternity and govern Inazuma.
Ei had even imposed strict constraints upon it.
The Shogun's current rampage was a direct result of those very conditions.
After understanding the situation, Makoto exhaled deeply.
She looked toward the distant battlefield.
"You've suffered."
"I won't blame you."
"I left too abruptly back then."
She no longer reproached her sister.
Mistakes had been made—now, they would fix them.
Hearing this, Ei nodded eagerly.
She had always been obedient toward her sister.
Never once had she defied Makoto.
Knowing her sister well, she understood that these words marked the end of the matter.
No further repercussions would follow.
Yae Miko, seeing the conflict resolve so peacefully, felt a twinge of disappointment.
As expected, Makoto is still too kind.
She had guessed from the start that Makoto wouldn't actually strike Ei.
After all, Makoto knew exactly what her sister was like.
With that, she turned her attention to Lady Saiguu and Hanachirusato.
Hanachirusato, resurrected alongside them, had remained silent, quietly observing.
Now, Yae Miko finally had the chance to inquire.
Why had she been summoned as well?
Lady Saiguu was equally curious—she had been conversing with Hanachirusato earlier.
Gradually, she learned the reason.
This woman carried her memories.
How fascinating.
Thus, Lady Saiguu now treated Hanachirusato as a younger sister.
After all, wasn't she another version of herself?
The group chatted away, utterly unconcerned with the life-and-death battle raging outside.
Meanwhile, the Shogun unleashed her full power.
Space itself split apart.
A massive, blade-wielding arm emerged from the void, slashing down at Jiang Chen.
"O Sun, Abide to Death!"
Since you're going all out, neither shall I hold back.
By now, Jiang Chen had fully mastered the Uncrowned Martial Arts.
Precisely because the Shogun couldn't overpower him in skill, she had resorted to her ultimate attack.
She aimed to end this in one strike.
Their battlefield was now far from Inazuma's shores.
Thus, Jiang Chen saw no issue in matching her blow for blow.
Violet lightning clashed with crimson flames.
Then, following this world's laws—
BOOOOOOM!
An earth-shattering Overloaded explosion erupted.
Though distant, the blast was visible across all of Inazuma.
The sheer elemental upheaval even roused the Archons of other nations.
In Liyue, Zhongli turned toward Inazuma, puzzled.
"He's only been gone a short while, yet he's already stirring up trouble?"
Fighting the Electro Archon?
He couldn't help but feel curious.
Yet he wasn't worried.
Given Jiang Chen's strength, even the Shogun couldn't best him.
As the God of War, Zhongli had a fair grasp of Jiang Chen's capabilities.
From what he sensed, Jiang Chen surpassed even his prime.
Though he had never witnessed Jiang Chen's full power, it was more than sufficient.
"Aren't you concerned, old man?"
Venti's voice suddenly piped up as Zhongli sipped his tea.
Zhongli calmly set down his cup.
"No."
"Unless the Heavenly Principles themselves intervene, no one in Teyvat can threaten him."
"And even if they did… I doubt they'd gain much advantage."
He couldn't help but muse.
If the Heavenly Principles descended, Jiang Chen would probably summon an army of Archons to gang up on them.
Perhaps even more.
After all, Xiao was still out there collecting catalysts for him.
Who knows how many he's amassed by now?
A legion of Archon-level Heroic Spirits…
At that point, Jiang Chen might as well claim the throne of the heavens for himself.
Hearing this, Venti couldn't help but feel envious.
If only Mondstadt had someone like him…