After some back-and-forth, Raiden Ei and Reisen Riou decided against sending troops to Sumeru. No profit in it.
The current batch of Sumeru sages left a bad taste, and the one Amurta sage friendly with them lost the Grand Sage race—possibly sabotaged, now bedridden.
Khaenri'ah's tech and firepower? Inazuma didn't need it.
Their tech? Hell, buying it was cheaper. Reisen had already scooped up most of Khaenri'ah's secrets at bargain prices on the black market.
Those Khaenri'ahns knew their tech's worth but sold it cheap to survive their mess.
Reisen wasn't sure which tech was taboo, so he dumped it all on the awakened Raiden Makoto, who'd once been tight with the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, to vet.
Should be fine.
Makoto's current hideout was practically cut off from Celestia's reach, and her former Archon status should keep things clean.
"So, what's the deal with Lesser Lord Kusanali?" Reisen asked, curious.
In his past life, when he crossed over, Sumeru was new. Kusanali appeared in the story, but always felt mysterious.
From what he knew, her powers tied to dreams and consciousness.
Beta testers claimed she wasn't weak—she could link to the World Tree, like Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and helped the Traveler save it.
Reisen suspected a connection between Kusanali and Rukkhadevata, but beta leaks were murky. Reference only.
Then there was a wild rumor: his "dumb kid" from another timeline ascended to godhood in Sumeru.
"No word on Kusanali," Ei said, her tone heavy.
"Nothing? Seriously?" Reisen's forehead sprouted a question mark.
"Who knows what those Akademiya brainiacs are up to," Ei said, shaking her head. "By the way, I heard you're holding that competition, offering a One System, Ten Thousand Minds Machine as a prize. That cool?"
Reisen knew what she meant.
He waved a hand, conjuring mist. "Sketchy intel says the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles got wrecked by the Abyss after Khaenri'ah's fall and might be asleep. I think the Traveler's Celestia's fix for the world."
"So, you're testing if Celestia's really out cold," Ei said, arms crossed, thinking.
"You trying to go home?" she asked suddenly. Why else poke at Celestia's status?
"What?!" Reisen blinked, then laughed. "Home? Too fancy for me. I made peace with my past life ages ago. Just wanna hop worlds for fun."
"Sorry," Ei said, a bit sheepish.
"Nah, why talk about that? This is home," Reisen grinned, grabbing Ei before she could bolt.
"I've got paperwork!"
"I'll blast through it later."
"Not here…"
"Into the Pot! That teapot's my real home."
…
While the Sage's Private Competition host and Inazuma's Raiden Shogun "discussed" state affairs, Traveler Aether slogged into the Sage's Debate round.
The Sage's Vision round was tough, but Aether's vast adventuring experience and teaming with a decent scholar let him slice through, ranking high.
But the Sage's Debate? That had him rattled. It tested insight and eloquence.
Everyone knew the Traveler—brother or sister—wasn't great with words.
The debate split into teams: one argued, one countered.
Aether tracked down Arani, the scholar he'd teamed with for the Sage's Vision.
"Yo, Arani, you good at debating?" Aether asked.
Arani, from Sumeru, was solid among the latest scholars but barely passed the Invite Defense Battle's scholarly round by a fluke—one point over a fumbled defender.
"Debate's mandatory in Sumeru, but I'm no star at it," Arani said, scratching her head. "I know some sharp debaters, though. Teams are eight. We can grab a few good ones."
Not many Sumerians joined the competition, mostly scholars, and most got axed in the Sage's Vision round.
Only five teams' worth made it to the Sage's Debate, including Aether, some Fontaine inventors, and Mondstadt scholars.
Basically, a mix of non-Inazumans, with Sumerians leading.
Worth noting: Liyue had a slightly bigger team, but they didn't mix with others.
They were an official Liyue delegation, here to trade rare resources, import food, and counter the Black Legion's threat to Liyue's mines—rivaling the Chasm's lockdown.
The Black Legion hit more than the Chasm. Blackrock Factory and other major mines got slammed.
Trade routes to Sumeru were also cut by Dead Domains and Treasure Hoarders. Aether cleared most domains, but Hoarders still choked the routes, starving Liyue of Sumeru's grain. Mondstadt, same deal.
So, Liyue's Seven Stars turned to Inazuma, the only nation with surplus food.
Their team was just here for kicks.