Mist wreathed the peak of Mt. Kagekage, where the ancient Narukami Shrine stood silently like a slumbering deity, overseeing the entire city of Inazuma.
At dawn, the shrine was quiet; only the soft chime of wind bells and the gentle fall of cherry blossoms disturbed the stillness.
Yae Miko stood beneath the corridor's eaves, lightly fanning herself with a folded fan, her sharp gaze passing over the stone steps to rest on a familiar figure in the courtyard.
Ji Bai was painting.
He sat on a mossy stone just outside the eastern annex of the shrine, his easel set up, the scroll of paper fluttering softly in the breeze. His expression was one of deep concentration, as if the world beyond his canvas had ceased to exist, and only the world within his brushstrokes was real.
Yae Miko made no move to interrupt her "guest," choosing instead to observe silently.
His strokes were slow but steady, the ink flowing like thunder — light yet charged with latent power.
Ji Bai was painting the ancient Thunder Sakura tree standing proudly before the shrine's main hall.
Just as the brushstroke landed, the distant sky darkened abruptly.
A rolling thunder rumbled over the horizon, heavy with portent, as though some dormant fate stirred awake.
No storm clouds had gathered, yet the thunder spoke first—an unseen force answering the call of the ink and brush.
Yae Miko's eyes flickered, her fan folding closed with a soft click.
She knew this was no ordinary weather shift.
It was the presence of Her — the Electro Archon herself — stirred by something.
Ji Bai remained unaware of the changing skies. His face was calm, absorbed completely in the lines and shadows emerging under his brush. The woman he was painting took form: standing backlit against the lightning-tinged sky, her figure still yet alive with electric grace.
Yet unknown to him, a faint crackle of energy spilled from the scroll, the ink faintly glowing with unearthly light.
"Who are you painting?" Yae Miko's voice came softly from behind.
Startled, Ji Bai paused, then looked up to see the shrine's high priestess standing there, her sharp gaze warm but unreadable.
"Yae Miko," he said, bowing slightly.
"The figure in your painting… who is she?" Yae Miko asked, stepping closer.
Ji Bai looked down at the scroll, now partially rolled back, revealing a silhouette shrouded in soft purple light.
She faced away from the viewer, robes woven with shimmering patterns like flickering lightning, her hair cascading like a waterfall, feet bathed in crackling sparks.
Though faceless, the aura was unmistakable.
"I don't know," Ji Bai answered truthfully.
Yae Miko studied him for a long moment before letting out a small laugh.
"You say you don't know, yet the storm in your painting is more vivid than any official portrait I've seen."
Ji Bai's hand trembled slightly as he rolled the scroll closed, a flicker of unease crossing his features.
"This wasn't the image I intended to paint," he whispered.
"It simply came to me in a vision last night—the woman standing above the storm, turning slowly with eyes like lightning."
"Now I wonder… was it truly a dream?"
Yae Miko said nothing, only turning her gaze to the shrine's main hall atop the mountain.
"Do you understand where you are? This is Mt. Kagekage, the Narukami Shrine — the closest place in Inazuma to the gods."
"If you continue to paint divine forms here, you may find thunder is not the only thing to respond."
Ji Bai's breath caught in his throat.
He was no native of Inazuma; he had arrived in this world mere months ago. And this painting… the inspiration behind it seemed more than memory or dream.
"Thank you for the warning," he said, bowing with sincerity.
Yae Miko glanced at him, a faint smile touching her lips.
"I have instructed the shrine maidens to prepare lodgings. You will remain here a while."
"If your brush truly holds power, I intend to see what it can summon."
As she walked away, her voice drifted on the breeze:
"Do not fear. If you are truly guided by the gods, how could I let such a chance pass by?"
Ji Bai remained motionless, watching her retreating figure.
The mountain wind stirred, unfurling the scroll just enough to reveal the unfinished silhouette of the lightning woman.
This time, she seemed to turn—not toward him, but with a subtle bow toward the grand hall of Narukami Shrine.