"This is…"
"…what kind of pose is this?"
At Tatarasuna, countless people were trapped mid-air by lightning— tens of thousands, dense as a swarm.
All of them wearing soldiers' armor.
And among the sea of prisoners, Su Ran spotted two familiar figures.
"SU RAN!! SAVE ME!!!"
A scream blasted from the beach, so loud it startled half the captured troops of Watatsumi Island awake.
Su Ran strolled leisurely toward the trapped Lumine and Paimon, eyes sparkling with amusement.
"What kind of pose is this?"
He turned, lifted his phone, and snapped a picture with Lumine and Paimon frozen in the background.
"You bastard! You and the Raiden Shogun are in cahoots!"
Lumine had charged into rebellion with Gorou, full of heroic spirit—
—right until Ei herself appeared.
The moment she saw that face, almost identical to the woman beside Su Ran, Lumine completely broke.
If she still didn't understand at that point, she'd be an idiot.
Raiden Shogun was clearly with Su Ran!
He had been scheming to screw her over from the beginning!!
Talk about misjudging people!
"How could that be?
I'm working with the Tsaritsa.
Didn't you see them fight the other day?"
Su Ran changed angles and took another photo.
"You—!"
Lumine was speechless.
Because she couldn't refute it.
Those two had fought.
And they had wrecked Liyue's entire harbor.
Now Liyue couldn't even send out a single ship.
Someone had to rebuild the docks from scratch.
"What about Tartaglia?
Weren't you two together?"
"He's a Harbinger.
The resistance didn't trust him, so he left."
The more Lumine spoke, the more she regretted everything.
Who could've guessed the Fatui identity was actually a life-saving buff?!
"Oh."
Su Ran finished taking photos and turned to leave.
"Wait! You're not saving me!?"
Lumine's face paled.
He was really about to walk away?!
"Yeah! Yeah!! Su Ran, you can't just abandon us!!"
Paimon was about to cry again.
Or rather— she had cried so much the past few days she was out of tears.
To see hope appear in the depths of despair— how could they not cling to it?
"Brother, help us out!
We'll definitely reward you after this!"
A new voice cut in.
Su Ran looked over—
Watatsumi Island's general: Gorou.
Su Ran smiled.
"Even if I'm a Fatui Harbinger?"
Gorou choked instantly.
They had made deals with the Fatui during the war, but trusting a Harbinger?
Impossible.
"See?
Human nature is really fragile.
Fails every test."
Since they didn't trust him, he had no reason to let them out.
"They don't trust you! We trust you!!"
Lumine wasn't about to let her last chance walk away.
Who cared about morals now?!
Saving her came first!
Even if he was Fatui—
Fatui gave money!
Unlike this resistance army— just empty slogans!
"I can save you.
But you know… I'm just an ordinary Harbinger.
A subordinate of the Archons.
You're asking me to help you overthrow a god—
isn't that a bit… much?"
Su Ran extended his hand, rubbing his thumb and index finger together meaningfully.
"Six hundred thousand Mora. Okay?"
And so— not only had she lost herself, now she'd lose her money too.
Her heart shattered.
Never trust a Fatui again.
Never!
"No no no—
make it 1.2 million Mora."
"..."
Great.
Double the price.
Lumine wanted to die.
How could she not see it coming?!
"Fine! I'll pay!"
Just 1.2 million Mora?
No big deal!
Watatsumi had treasure chests, didn't it?!
She'd loot everything back later!
"Good.
Now all you need to do is shout something loudly."
Lumine blinked suspiciously.
"…What kind of shout?"
"Just yell—
'Mr. Su Ran's beauty and wisdom are unmatched in all the world!'"
Su Ran stared at her expectantly.
"L-Lumine, hurry up!
Say it!
Once you say it we'll be free!"
Paimon had zero psychological burden.
Because she wasn't the one shouting.
"…Urgh—!
Just kill me instead!!"
If survival required public humiliation, she'd rather die!!!
"Alright then, I'm leaving—"
Su Ran really started walking away.
Lumine panicked instantly.
Because if it was Su Ran, he would abandon her!
"MR. SU RAN'S BEAUTY AND WISDOM ARE UNMATCHED IN ALL THE WORLD!!!
cough cough—"
Lumine screamed with all her strength.
If she was going to die socially, then so be it.
It's just a dream anyway.
She'd never return to Inazuma again!
Damn this nation!!
"See?
Could've done that in the beginning."
Su Ran snapped his fingers.
The restraints vanished.
Lumine stumbled forward —straight into Su Ran's arms.
"You damnable bastard…"
She stayed in his arms a moment, breathing deeply.
He smelled good.
What perfume did he use?
Before she could calm down—
Her face froze again.
"What now?
What are you scared of?"
Paimon peeked out— and immediately hid behind Lumine.
Su Ran turned around.
A purple flash descended from the sky—
Lightning gathering around a divine figure.
The Raiden Shogun.
The very one who had sealed them here days ago.
"Relax.
This shouldn't be the one who trapped you."
Su Ran patted Lumine's head calmly.
Lumine: I do NOT believe that.
The same face.
The same clothes.
The same deadpan expression.
You expect her to believe that?!?
—------------------------------
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