Reisen Riou loitered outside the Yuna Clan's hot springs, chatting idly with an Okuzume guard. His ears twitched, and both snapped to attention as Raiden Makoto's group emerged. Bowing, he rejoined them, noticing new accessories: Yae Miko's Thunderous Yougou Divine Machine as a waist pendant, Makoto's at her side, and Torachiyo's embedded in her headpiece. His own, strung with his Vision for convenience, suddenly felt tacky by comparison.
Ei caught his glance, shifting awkwardly. Via electromagnetic waves, she said, "I'll get you a new one later."
"Thanks," he replied, same method.
Makoto's step faltered slightly, irked. Flirting in my presence? And whispering secrets? She couldn't decode their binary signals—a knowledge blind spot—but assumed bribery. Want my sister? You're not there yet, Riou. The duo, discussing tech, was oblivious to her wild misinterpretation.
…
Makoto, in a rare move, let Reisen Riou off early—a sign he might enjoy regular hours. Relieved, he dove into enhancing his Longevity Thunder Elixir Art and Geo healing youkai techniques. The Shogunate, however, buzzed. "This Thunderous Yougou Divine Machine is amazing!" Yae Miko exclaimed, waving it like Reisen Riou, conjuring a self-portrait she promptly erased, dissatisfied. "Ei, what else are you hiding?"
Yae Miko and Torachiyo wielded Thunderous Yougou Divine Machine 2.1, like Anko Renrei's 2.0, standalone with computing power and databases, though connectable to Ei's brain. "A happy accident," Ei said. "Riou mentioned it's great for filling gaps, so I upgraded it."
"Like Riou's One System, Ten Thousand Minds?" Torachiyo asked, marveling. "My mind's sharper instantly."
"It's packed with knowledge," Yae Miko noted, finding Grand Narukami Shrine spellcraft, including non-secret techniques, inside. "I copied Riou's database," Ei admitted sheepishly. Her research passion didn't extend to data collection—Riou's decades of work filled the gap, including shrine maidens' new spells and his Longevity Thunder Elixir Art. Inazuma's elite won big; Reisen Riou took the hit.
"What's a database?" Yae Miko asked.
"It's like a vast library for One System, Ten Thousand Minds. Riou's cautious—no taboo knowledge included," Ei explained.
Reisen Riou got word of the database copy mid-research. "Half a year for one day off, and this?" he grumbled, then shrugged. No real loss. Fighting Ei was a death wish, and the devices were for Makoto and crew. "Back to Longevity Thunder Elixir Art. I'll weave in Jueyun Chili's vitality boost. Geo healing's nearly set. Next: shields. Dodging and toughness won't cut it in Teyvat's future—too risky. Electro shields need barrier techniques. Time to task the shrine maidens."
He shook off the irritation, diving back into work.
At dawn, an elderly man, Uji, with young helpers, cleaned Reisen Riou's residence. "You're back, my lord," Uji said.
"Cleaning again?" Reisen Riou asked.
"Weekly upkeep, my lord. These are my kin, grown thanks to One System, Ten Thousand Minds." They bowed. "Where's Yurei's lad? No news lately."
"Gambling debts—crippled at Hanamiita. Yurei took him home," Uji said.
Reisen Riou shook his head. "Gambling's poison. Why lose reason over it? Just avoid it." Untouched by gambling in both lives, he couldn't fathom its pull.
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