Location: Wangshu Inn, Liyue
Current Form: Human (Tourist Mode)
Status: Seeking Almond Tofu, sensing bad karma
Leaving Mondstadt was easier than expected. Venti had given Raiden a bottle of "Vintage Dandelion Wine" (stolen from Diluc's stash) as a parting gift, and Jean had officially designated Raiden as a "Special Consultant to the Knights of Favonius," which was a fancy way of saying "Please don't eat our livestock, here is a badge."
Now, Raiden stood atop the roof of Wangshu Inn. The view of the Dihua Marsh was breathtaking - gold and green stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Liyue," Raiden breathed in. "Smells like commerce, spices, and..."
"Notice. High concentration of Karmic Debt detected. Hostile entity approaching at Mach 2."
"And angst," Raiden finished.
WHOOSH.
A blur of green and black descended from the sky. A jade spear thrust downward with enough force to shatter the roof tiles.
Raiden didn't move. He didn't even turn around. He simply raised his right hand, coating it in [Armament Haki] (synthesized from Dragon Scales and Iron Body).
CLANG.
The spear tip stopped millimeters from Raiden's palm, held in place by a gravity field.
Holding the spear was a young man with teal hair, golden eyes, and a mask of a demon.
Xiao. The Conqueror of Demons.
"Evil conquering!" Xiao shouted, pushing more Anemo energy into the spear. "You reek of the remains of gods! Die!"
"Hello to you too," Raiden deadpanned.
He flicked his finger against the spear shaft.
PING.
The force of the flick sent vibrations up the weapon. Xiao's eyes widened as the shockwave threw him backward. The Yaksha flipped in the air, landing gracefully on the railing, his mask vanishing to reveal a scowl.
"You..." Xiao panted, gripping his spear. "You are not a demon. But your aura... it is heavy. Darker than the Abyss. Yet... quiet."
"I have good digestion," Raiden explained, turning to face him. "I eat the bad stuff so you don't have to."
Raiden scanned Xiao.
"Analysis. Subject: Alatus (Xiao). Species: Illuminated Beast (Garuda). Status: Suffering from Karmic Accumulation (Erosion). HP: 65% (Chronic Pain)."
"You're in pain, Yaksha," Raiden said softly. "That karma... it's eating your nervous system."
Xiao bristled. "It is my burden. Do not speak of it, intruder."
"I can fix it," Raiden offered casually.
Xiao froze. "Impossible. Even Morax cannot—"
"Morax can't eat concepts. I can."
Raiden vanished—[Shadow Step]—reappearing right next to Xiao. Before the Yaksha could stab him, Raiden placed a hand on Xiao's shoulder.
[Beelzebuth: Karmic Siphon].
Raiden didn't take it all (that would shock Xiao's system), but he drained the "excess" static—the screaming voices of dead gods that kept Xiao awake at night.
Raiden pulled his hand back. Black electricity crackled between his fingers, which he promptly absorbed into his skin.
"Tastes like bitter medicine," Raiden grimaced.
Xiao dropped to his knees. For the first time in two thousand years, the constant screaming in his head was... a whisper. It wasn't gone, but it was manageable.
He looked up at Raiden with wide, shaking eyes. "Who... what are you?"
"Raiden Ragnvaldr. Just a passing foodie." Raiden tossed a bag of Mora onto the table nearby. "Tell the chef I want ten orders of Almond Tofu. And sit down. You look like you need a break."
Xiao looked at the Mora, then at Raiden. The Vigilant Yaksha sat down. "I... will accept your offer."
After leaving a confused but grateful Xiao at the Inn, Raiden flew straight to Liyue Harbor.
The city was massive. The architecture was grand, the harbor was filled with ships, and the smell... oh, the smell was divine.
Raiden landed in an alleyway and walked out onto the main street.
"Great Sage. locate the highest rated food stall."
"Answer. Wanmin Restaurant. Located 200 meters south."
Raiden followed the scent of chili and oil. He arrived at a modest restaurant where a girl with blue hair and a bear (Guoba) were cooking with frantic energy.
Xiangling.
"Welcome to Wanmin Restaurant!" Xiangling chirped, tossing a wok full of noodles into the air. "Do you want the spicy stew? Or the extra spicy stew? Or the slime condensate surprise?"
"Slime?" Raiden perked up. "I'm an expert on slimes."
Xiangling's eyes lit up. "Really?! Most people think it's gross! But the texture is amazing if you boil the Hydro Slime just right!"
"You have to remove the core first," Raiden advised, leaning over the counter. "Otherwise, it tastes like wet socks. And for Pyro Slimes, you don't boil them; you sear them. They cook themselves."
Xiangling gasped. "A fellow connoisseur! Wait, let me make you my special: Jueyun Chili-Stuffed Dendro Slime!"
"Hit me," Raiden sat on a stool.
She served the dish. It looked... radioactive.
Raiden took a bite.
"Notice. Capsaicin levels critical. Dendro toxins detected. Flavor profile: Chaos."
"It burns," Raiden said, tears forming in his eyes. "It's terrible. I love it. Another bowl."
Xiangling cheered. Guoba waddled over and offered Raiden a chili pepper. Raiden ate it whole, stem and all. Guoba clapped.
The next morning, the atmosphere in Liyue Harbor changed. It was serious. Ceremonial.
Raiden stood at Yujing Terrace, surrounded by the crowd. Aether and Paimon were there too, trying to look inconspicuous (and failing).
"The Exuvia will descend soon!" Paimon whispered.
Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Qixing, stepped forward. She began the ritual, channeling Geo energy into the incense burner.
The sky darkened. Clouds swirled.
Raiden looked up. His [Great Sage] was running a thousand calculations per second.
"Notice. Analyzing atmospheric pressure. No divine biological signature detected in the stratosphere. Object approaching is... inanimate."
"Here it comes," Raiden muttered, crossing his arms.
A massive dragon body fell from the sky.
THUD.
It crashed onto the offering table, knocking over the incense. It lay motionless. Rex Lapis. Dead.
The crowd screamed. Ningguang rushed forward to check the pulse.
"Rex Lapis has been killed! Seal the exits!" Ningguang ordered the Millelith.
Panic ensued. Aether and Paimon tried to sneak away.
Raiden, however, didn't move. He walked toward the corpse.
"Halt!" A Millelith guard pointed a spear at him. "This is a crime scene!"
"Relax," Raiden said, pushing the spear aside with one finger. "I'm a doctor. Sort of."
He walked up to the massive dragon body. It looked convincing. The scales were real (shedded over centuries). The horns were majestic.
But to Raiden, who was a True Dragon, it looked like a wax doll.
He poked the dead dragon's snout.
Squish.
"Fake," Raiden whispered, too low for the guards to hear.
He looked around the crowd. His silver eyes scanned the terrified faces until they landed on a tall, elegant man in a brown suit standing near the back, calmly sipping tea from a thermos he brought himself.
Zhongli.
Zhongli met Raiden's gaze. The Archon's amber eyes narrowed slightly. He sensed it immediately—the aura of a predator that rivaled Azhdaha.
Raiden winked at Zhongli.
Zhongli choked on his tea.
"Hey! You there! Step away from the Exuvia!" The Millelith shouted, realizing Raiden was just poking the god.
"Run!" Paimon grabbed Aether's hand.
"Way ahead of you," Aether sprinted.
Raiden decided to cause a distraction.
"Look! It's the assassin!" Raiden pointed at a random empty space on the roof.
"Where?!" The guards turned.
Raiden grabbed Aether and Paimon by the collars of their shirts.
[Shadow Step].
They vanished instantly, reappearing in a secluded alleyway far from the terrace.
Aether gasped for air. "You... you teleported us?"
"I saved you from a prison cell," Raiden corrected. "Also, that dragon?"
"Rex Lapis is dead!" Paimon wailed. "The God of Contracts is gone!"
"That," Raiden laughed, "was the most expensive prop I've ever seen. The dragon was a fake."
Aether paused. "What?"
"It was an empty shell," Raiden explained. "No soul. No divinity. Someone staged their own death. And judging by the tea enthusiast I saw in the crowd... I have a pretty good idea who."
"Tea enthusiast?" Paimon tilted her head.
"Never mind," Raiden dusted off his coat. "We need to find the Adepti. If Liyue is going to panic, we might as well get the magical heavy hitters involved. Plus, I want to meet Cloud Retainer. I heard she builds cool gadgets."
"To Jueyun Karst!" Paimon pointed.
"After lunch," Raiden corrected. "I'm still hungry."