"Baalzebul! I've never met anyone as shameless as you!"
The Tsaritsa's furious voice cut through the frozen air.
Her glare toward Ei was so sharp it could kill.
Had this been about any other Fatui Executive, she might have been angry but not outraged.
After all, people had their own ambitions.
Those who joined her did so for many reasons— to overthrow Celestia, or simply for their own gain.
But Su Ran was different.
Among all her Executives, he was the most special.
She didn't fully understand his origins, but she knew his value— and she had no intention of letting anyone take him.
And now, after such a short time, that sly fox of a Raiden Shogun was trying to steal him away?
Unforgivable.
To make matters worse, that same Baalzebul had actually sent her a letter— claiming "custody" of the genius in black and white!
The moment she read it, she'd been so angry she nearly crushed the paper to snow.
So she'd gathered herself, brought Little Duck along, and personally come to Liyue to demand answers.
She wanted to see exactly how this so-called Raiden Shogun planned to steal her man.
"This might not seem fair to you," Ei said evenly, "but he's very important to me."
She knew she was in the wrong.
Being called "shameless" wasn't unjustified.
Still—she didn't care.
If protecting Su Ran's place in her eternity made her a villain, so be it.
He was part of her eternity.
A piece of the perfection she'd been searching for.
No insult would make her back down.
"And he's not important to me?" the Tsaritsa shot back.
Up on the Jade Chamber, everyone was frozen in place— not by the cold, but by sheer disbelief.
Two goddesses, fighting over the same man.
They were witnessing history.
The only silver lining: at least the two had enough sense to take their battle out to sea, so Liyue wouldn't be flattened in the process.
Which meant… they had a front-row seat to the greatest gossip of the century.
A god war over a man.
Who could resist watching that?
"Honestly," Su Ran sighed, "how ridiculous. Fighting over me?
Wouldn't it make more sense to just team up?"
He said it half-jokingly, but his words made every mortal around him stiffen.
If those two really did join forces—
Raiden Shogun, Tsaritsa, and the man who could grant mortals the power of gods—
Then Inazuma and Snezhnaya combined could rival the other five nations together.
And with him on their side?
Even the laws of Celestia might shake.
The laughter died from the crowd's lips.
Even Ningguang's face paled.
If such an alliance came to pass, Liyue's proud title as the "trade capital of Teyvat" might soon belong to the snowfields of Snezhnaya or the stormy islands of Inazuma.
And for Ningguang, that was unacceptable.
Still—what could she do?
The Tsaritsa had come with her daughter.
The Raiden Shogun had already confessed in front of everyone.
This wasn't politics anymore.
It was… domestic.
And what mortal could intervene in a divine family feud?
"Mr. Su Ran," Ningguang asked carefully, "do you think Liyue could… perhaps join this alliance?"
"Ah, I'm afraid I'm not the one to decide that," Su Ran said with a faint smile.
"I'm just a humble Executive, remember?"
In Inazuma, his word carried great weight— the Shogun herself bent to his will.
But Snezhnaya was another matter.
The Tsaritsa still didn't truly understand what he was capable of.
If she ever learned what had happened here in Liyue— and what he'd done in Inazuma— she might just die of rage.
Losing a man like that…
Even a god would feel the sting.
Down at the harbor, Childe and La Signora stood side by side, watching the clash of storm and snow raging over the sea.
Both looked uneasy.
Everything had been peaceful a moment ago— and now their Queen herself had descended to Liyue to fight the Raiden Shogun?!
But the moment they overheard fragments of their shouting—
"Give him back!"
"He's mine!"—they understood.
This wasn't a political battle.
This was a custody dispute.
And the "child" in question was the genius himself.
Childe's hand tightened around the amber pendant he carried.
He'd thought Her Majesty had come for Morax's Gnosis.
But no— apparently, Su Ran was even more valuable than that.
Even La Signora was unsettled.
The Gnosis contract had been completed, yet Morax was nowhere to be seen.
Would the God of Contracts himself really dare to break a contract?
Unthinkable.
"Childe," she said suddenly, "since you've obtained power on par with a demon god, go assist Her Majesty.
We can't let Baalzebul gain the upper hand!"
She could feel the power radiating from him now— a gift from the genius.
A terrifying, flawless strength.
Stronger than the Doctor's modified Delusions.
Even more potent than the Queen's own blessings.
Childe scratched his head awkwardly.
"Ehh… I don't think that's a good idea."
"This isn't state business, milady— it's family business.
If I step in now, I'll just look like the idiot meddling in a lovers' quarrel."
Besides, Su Ran himself hadn't moved a muscle.
If the genius wasn't intervening, then neither should he.
No matter what relationship the man had with either god, one thing was clear— he was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
If Childe accidentally injured the Raiden Shogun, maybe the Tsaritsa would praise him— but Su Ran might just erase him from existence.
A man who could casually grant mortals the power of a god… could just as easily take it back—or worse.
Better to stay put.
Do nothing.
Make no enemies.
After all, Su Ran had killed a demon god with a single blow.
If he wanted to kill a Harbinger, it'd take him less effort than swatting a fly.
Even when the Doctor's clones died, Her Majesty hadn't batted an eye.
So why risk it?
A war of gods raged on the horizon— but down below, the mortals could only watch whisper, and pray that the "family dispute" didn't escalate into the end of the world.
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