With the release of version 2.1, Elysia logged in on time to stream.
After her last stream brought a huge wave of traffic to her platform, Elysia hadn't streamed again. So, this was her second stream in over a month.
The popularity was naturally still high.
However, this time, Elysia didn't chat much with her viewers because the story immediately kicked off with a high-stakes moment.
Thoma had been captured, and the Raiden Shogun was about to hold the "Vision Hunt Ceremony" for the 100th Vision at the Statue of the Omnipresent God.
Lumine stopped Ayaka, who wanted to rescue Thoma, and decided to go to the ceremony site herself to see if there was a chance to save him.
—The story instantly transitioned into an animated cutscene.
"So beautiful! So imposing!"
Elysia's eyes sparkled as she watched the Raiden Shogun step forward toward the Statue of the Omnipresent God.
The Raiden Shogun didn't speak. With a calm expression, she half-turned and looked down at Thoma, who was kneeling on the ground, bound. She raised her right hand.
In the next moment, Thoma's Pyro Vision instantly left his body and flew into the Raiden Shogun's palm.
Seeing this from the crowd, Lumine grew anxious. She could no longer wait and immediately disappeared in a flash of Electro, leaping into the air and grabbing the Vision.
Without a word, the Tenryou Commission soldiers, seeing a troublemaker, charged at her without hesitation.
"Zzzzt—!!"
Without hesitation, Lumine turned and slashed with her sword, knocking down all those who attacked her. She then quickly ran to Thoma, trying to untie him—but in an instant, Lumine's pupils contracted, and she immediately retracted her hands, dodging the bolt of lightning aimed at her.
Nervously turning her head, she saw the Raiden Shogun stepping down from the void, one step at a time.
"You can wield elemental power without a Vision… You are an 'exception.'"
The Raiden Shogun looked at Lumine with calm eyes as she stepped onto the ground, speaking indifferently:
"Exceptions… are the enemy of eternity."
With these words, the Raiden Shogun swung her arms, bringing them together in front of her chest. In an instant, lightning pierced the heavens and earth, resonating in all directions.
Then, in the next moment, a sword slowly emerged from her chest. She grasped the hilt and pulled it out.
Holding the sword in one hand, she looked down and stated plainly:
"I will… inlay you upon this statue."
As soon as she finished speaking, she swung her sword.
Crack, crack, crack, crack—!!!!!!
The sound of space shattering erupted wildly, and in the blink of an eye, darkness engulfed Lumine.
"Oh? To think…"
As a voice that was unmistakably Yae Miko's rang out, the camera instantly shifted, showing Yae Miko and Ye, who had been observing from the crowd.
Yae Miko blinked, her tone surprised: "In the past few hundred years, this is the first time I've seen Ei so interested in someone… She actually brought her into the Plane of Euthymia."
Ye's expression was calm as he said indifferently: "Well, the Traveler has finally gotten her wish… She's met the true Electro Archon."
With these words, the scene shifted again, and Lumine reappeared, now in a dark space.
In an instant, a floor engraved with the Electro Mitsudomoe appeared, and structures resembling shrine torii gates slowly rose from the ground.
Sensing something was wrong, Lumine immediately turned around and saw the Raiden Shogun sitting cross-legged in the void, her eyes lightly closed.
At this moment, as if sensing Lumine's gaze, she slowly opened her eyes, looked at Lumine, and then stood up, her feet touching the ground.
Lumine looked at her in confusion: "You are…?"
"You are the one furthest from eternity. I am… intrigued."
The Raiden Shogun's expression was calm, but her tone was much softer than before.
Lumine felt something was off, but this wasn't the time to overthink. She quickly raised her sword, cautiously watching the Raiden Shogun, and then dashed forward without fear, charging at her.
Seeing this, the Raiden Shogun couldn't help but praise: "To face the might of lightning head-on… That is commendable."
As she praised, the Raiden Shogun casually sidestepped Lumine and slashed with her sword.
Then,
"Ugh…!"
In the next moment, Lumine cried out in pain as she was struck by the lightning and fell to the ground.
The space shattered again, and Lumine returned to reality.
Originally, this part of the story was interspersed with a battle between the player and the Raiden Shogun, but Ye decided to cut it for smoother storytelling. There would be plenty of chances to fight later, so for now, the animated cutscene would play out in one continuous shot.
After all, this part was just the setup. The real climax was in the next part of the story.
"Ah…" Paimon, panicked and scared, clung to Lumine, shaking her body and anxiously calling out: "Wake up! Please wake up!"
Paimon's voice was urgent, but the Raiden Shogun's steps were slow and steady.
The Raiden Shogun, now noticeably different from the one in the strange space, walked over to Lumine with a cold expression, raised her sword, and then…
Without a word, without hesitation, she swung her sword down.
—And in that instant.
The scene shifted, and a hand familiar to players appeared on the screen.
It was the same hand that had blocked Longhua's attack in the Shanhaijing storyline.
Now, this hand…
"Snap!"
This was the sound of the hand lightly snapping its fingers.
"Crack!"
This was the sound of space shattering violently where the Raiden Shogun had been standing, as she quickly retreated, her pupils contracting.
"Tap!"
This was the sound of light footsteps, faint yet clear, echoing in the now slightly silent yet chaotic space.
Space was shattered into pieces, and darkness seeped through the cracks.
A man walked forward, step by step, until he reached Lumine's side.
Thoma, who had just broken free and was preparing to desperately save Lumine, was now completely stunned, frozen in place.
Paimon, as if finding a savior, quickly hid behind the man.
"First time meeting you, Raiden Shogun."
The man looked at the Raiden Shogun across the shattered space, his tone light and casual as he spoke:
"Could you spare her, for my sake? After all, I promised her that I would ensure her safety in Inazuma."
"Fine."
The Raiden Shogun agreed.
Without hesitation.
As she agreed, she raised her right hand, pointing the tip of her sword at the man. Her already cold expression now turned utterly icy, killing intent overflowing.
"In exchange for your life."
As soon as she finished speaking, the Musou no Hitotachi, the pinnacle of martial arts, mercilessly slashed down!
Ye couldn't help but sigh softly:
"What a pity. I'm not planning to give you my life either."