The sealed letter weighed heavy in Ji Bai's palm—a summons from the Raiden Shogun herself, not a mere invitation but a direct command from the Tenshukaku at Inazuma City.
Outside, dark clouds roiled, distant thunder rumbling as a grim prelude to the coming storm.
Ji Bai's heartbeat quickened—not from fear, but from the electric thrill of challenge. The watchers' eyes had multiplied, their presence a shadow trailing his every step.
"Prepare yourself," Thoma whispered, his gaze sharp as a blade. "We leave at once."
They moved swiftly through Inazuma's shadowed streets, whispers floating in the night air, shadows flickering just beyond the lantern light. Tension wrapped around them like a tightening noose.
At the gates of the Tenshukaku, stern guards barred their way, faces unreadable, impenetrable.
But Ji Bai stepped forward unflinching, the brush tucked safely in his satchel a steady reminder of his resolve.
The gates creaked open with a low groan.
Inside, the vast hall was silent, lit only by flickering candles that cast long, dancing shadows.
The Raiden Shogun stood on the high dais—regal, poised, her gaze sharp as a blade, cold as ice.
Violet lightning flashed suddenly, illuminating the hall and sharpening her stern features. She slowly raised a finger, slicing through the air, a faint breeze seeming to chill the very bones.
"Ji Bai," her voice cut through the silence, cold and edged with steel. "Do you know that every stroke of your brush dances above Inazuma's laws? This so-called 'connection' of yours—is it nothing but defiance against our will?"
Ji Bai nodded slightly, his gaze unwavering, steadier than before. "My brush is no weapon, but an extension of the soul. I paint not just reality, but the truths of the heart. I welcome your scrutiny."
Her eyes, sharp like a hawk's, narrowed as she closed the distance, seeming to pierce his very spirit. "But do you know that a single misplaced line can ignite a storm? Inazuma cannot tolerate storms. Will you be the spark, or the calm within the tempest?"
Ji Bai drew a steady breath, his heart pounding fiercely, yet his voice remained calm: "I am not the storm, but I can quell it. My power comes from respect and understanding, not destruction. Give me the chance, Shogun, to prove this."
The air in the hall thickened, wind chimes tinkling faintly—the moment seemed frozen in time.
Lightning flickered again at her fingertips, casting a harsh glow on her inscrutable eyes. "Then use your art. Show me your resolve."
Ji Bai gripped the scroll tightly, a fierce light igniting in his eyes like a flash of lightning.