If they didn't break the dream, there would be no leaving it.
Zhongli could not remain here forever.
He himself wasn't in any rush— but the master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor certainly would be.
A responsible father does not let his daughter worry.
There were only two ways out of this dream:
Find Su Ran and ask him to release them, or
shatter the dream from within.
And Zhongli…
had no hope of winning against Su Ran.
So he chose the second option.
The greatest obstacle now was Baalzebul herself.
"Stubborn?
If you had lived through what I have," Ei said coldly, "you might be even more stubborn than me."
She had finally escaped nightmares and found comfort within a beautiful dream—
and now these people wanted her to watch that dream crumble?
She would be the last to accept it.
Even if her opponent was the oldest of the Archons, she would stand her ground.
"I understand your pain," Zhongli replied, "but I have my burdens as well.
I must leave this place."
Liyue's current state was unknown.
Whatever awaited beyond the dream, he had to return.
Ei had her unshakable convictions.
But Zhongli had his obligations too.
"Then you should never have come here for those people in the first place!"
Ei snapped.
"Inazuma has long been closed to outsiders.
Those who entered did so at their own peril!"
Of course she knew strangers occasionally slipped through storms.
She simply hadn't bothered to deal with them, knowing the dream realm would soon envelop Inazuma.
But Zhongli— he chose to interfere afterward.
Why didn't he restrain his own citizens earlier?
Why not stop them from coming?
The nation had been sealed for a year.
He had no objections then.
Whose fault was that?
"I have no excuse," Zhongli admitted.
"My offense will be repaid—after this."
Indeed—Ei was right.
Even if the Sakoku Decree had been flawed, a foreign ruler had no authority to meddle in another nation's affairs.
Lightning clashed with stone.
The sky shook as if the Archon War had risen again.
The power of gods was never meant to be resisted by mortals.
Their battle far surpassed any clash from the ancient war.
Ei struck ruthlessly, aiming for vital force in every movement.
Zhongli, knowing he was in the wrong, did not fight with full intent to defeat her.
He didn't need to win— only to delay her.
The two Archons exchanged blows again and again— neither overwhelming the other.
To the rebels on Watatsumi Island, the sight was exhilarating.
If even the Raiden Shogun could not quickly subdue the Geo Archon, then perhaps—
perhaps they really had a chance to overthrow the rule of the Narukami Shogunate.
In that moment, Zhongli became a symbol of hope.
"Do you see it, General?"
Kokomi gazed at the clashing gods.
"This is the voice of Watatsumi's people."
Thunder and stone collided overhead, each exchange more devastating than any battle between the resistance and the shogunate.
The might of gods was overwhelming, and yet—
they fought.
"Voice of the people?"
A dripping-wet Tartaglia climbed onto a rock, fresh from being blasted into the sea.
"Isn't it a little absurd?"
He shook off water.
"But honestly— when the dream breaks, you'll lose your immortality.
Aren't you afraid the Shogun will settle the score then?"
It wasn't his problem.
Still, even he found these rebels terrifyingly brave.
In the real world, a furious Raiden Shogun would not hesitate to kill them.
Kokomi fell silent.
She knew all too well that Tartaglia was right.
Morax could protect them for a time… but Watatsumi Island was part of Inazuma.
Not Liyue.
"But someone," Kokomi said softly,
"must be willing to take the first step out of a dream with no future."
Tartaglia let out a low whistle.
"Impressive… truly impressive, strategist."
He looked up at the battle in the sky— and felt an unexpected pang of melancholy.
He had tasted Archon-level power, only to be swatted into the ocean within seconds.
The gap between him and those ancient gods who survived the Archon War was far greater than he realized.
And without full Foul Legacy, he couldn't even brute-force it.
The thrill of combat had dimmed.
Yet he wouldn't interfere again.
He hated when someone ruined his battles— so he wouldn't ruin Zhongli's.
Let the dream be broken by the voices of its people.
Zhongli, however, was inwardly irritated.
This was not a duel.
This was a blockade.
He didn't need honor— he needed assistance.
Why was the Harbinger just standing there watching?
Could he not help restrain Baalzebul?
If they subdued her, this would be so much easier!
But fortunately— even if Tartaglia refused to help—
someone else joined.
A sudden gust of wind sliced through the sky.
Ei was forced to divert a fraction of her focus, giving Zhongli a brief advantage.
She looked toward the newcomer gliding toward them on a pair of wind wings.
Another one…
Once again, someone connected to Su Ran.
The Harbinger's power—Su Ran's gift.
Zhongli—captured by Su Ran.
Even this Traveler— brought to Inazuma by Su Ran.
Were it not for Su Ran's lack of involvement, Ei would've suspected that he was the one trying to break the dream.
But destroying the dream would take him no effort at all.
So she dismissed the thought.
Lumine, meanwhile, was struggling.
She regretted not touching the Raiden Statue of the Seven earlier.
Right now she only had two elemental powers.
How was she supposed to fight?
But retreat was impossible— the whole island was watching.
So she did the one thing she was absolutely certain about:
She shouted with full courage—
"Raiden Shogun!
I've come to defeat you!"
If nothing else, momentum must not be lost.
—------------------------------
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