Chapter 194.
To be brutally honest, when Futsu Mitama saw Lumine casually vault onto the arena stage, his jaw practically hit the floor.
Suddenly, it all made sense! No wonder the host had given Raiden Makoto a heads-up. They already had their ultimate challenger waiting in the wings.
"Ah~ I absolutely live to see that look on your face!!!"
Venti practically doubled over, radiating pure, gremlin-like joy at Mitama's complete and utter bewilderment.
Maha Rukkhadevata politely hid her smile behind her sleeve. Catching Futsu Mitama genuinely off-guard was a phenomenally rare treat. Honestly, sometimes the Archons wondered if Mitama knew a little too much. He constantly pulled off maneuvers based on confidential info no one else had, acting like a prophet who had read the script in advance.
Take the Sumeru incident, for example. While the rest of the world was completely in the dark, Mitama had played 4D chess: recruiting Tighnari, using Faruzan to infiltrate the city, and orchestrating his own concession to seamlessly smuggle Nahida into their Chat Group.
Calling that a "coincidence" was ridiculous.
So, seeing the usually omniscient Mitama look completely lost gave the two deities a highly satisfying sense of cosmic payback.
Finally. Something you didn't see coming!
"Alright, what exactly is going on here?"
Mitama sighed, shooting the two Archons a dry look. Seeing their smug expressions, it was painfully obvious they had known Lumine was about to jump in.
"Actually, I genuinely have no idea." Venti chuckled, pointing lazily toward a familiar floating fairy near the edge of the crowd. "Maybe that flying emergency food knows what's up. With our 'sensitive' identities, we can't exactly stroll over and ask."
Futsu Mitama locked eyes on the floating white anomaly.
Isn't that Paimon? She looks like a frantic cheerleader.
Rukkhadevata listened to the swelling noise of the plaza and smiled.
"Furthermore, it appears our blonde Foreigner is quite the local celebrity here in Liyue Harbor."
She wasn't wrong. The exact second Lumine stepped onto the stage, the crowd went absolutely wild, screaming like they had just seen a superstar idol. Futsu Mitama quickly tuned into the local gossip as he wove his way through the dense crowd toward Paimon.
Wait... Lumine was supposed to be on a highly sensitive stakeout tracking the Fatui. Why is she getting her daily cardio at a civilian festival?!
"Is that... the Foreigner?! The legendary blonde Traveler?! Oh, by Rex Lapis, it's actually her!!!"
"Are you living under a rock?! That blonde girl on the stage is an absolute menace! Four days ago, she was the undisputed queen of this arena!"
"Queen? Wait... you mean she successfully defended the platform for the full ten hours?!!!!"
"Yep! In the last hour, they were throwing fighters at her with zero breaks just to wear her down. If that 'young girl' punched you, you'd be eating through a straw for six months! This is a clash of titans!"
Listening to the hype, Mitama was full of questions.
Why hadn't Lumine mentioned this massive detail to him? Was she too embarrassed about beating up regular festival-goers for cash?
If so, Mitama totally understood.
Up on the wooden platform, Raiden Makoto blinked in mild surprise. She genuinely hadn't expected a Chat Group member to challenge her!
Oh dear. This is a bit of a headache, Makoto mused internally. Should I go easy on her?
Makoto knew exactly how strong Lumine was—roughly on par with Tartaglia. Right now, Makoto had limited her own power to match Kuki Shinobu. While Shinobu could survive a clash with a Harbinger briefly, she would definitely lose a drawn-out fight. If Makoto didn't turn up the dial right now, Lumine was going to beat her.
But Makoto quickly brushed the thought aside. She was just here to warm up, not to defend her title. She decided to keep her power capped.
"You're very strong. Are you truly just an Inazuman Ronin?"
Lumine didn't attack immediately. While watching from the crowd, she had realized a chilling truth: this Inazuman lady was profoundly, catastrophically powerful.
It was her vibe.
That specific, suffocating presence belonged only to absolute peak existence. Lumine's cosmic combat instincts were screaming that this woman's civilian identity was totally fake!
"That's a good question." Makoto nodded gracefully, a serene smile curving her lips. "But I don't intend to give you an answer. I only reveal my secrets to warriors who earn my acknowledgment. Let us test your blade."
Makoto rested a hand on the hilt of her practice tachi. Instantly, a highly compressed surge of crackling Electro energy wrapped itself around the unsharpened steel.
Sensing the boss-level threat, Lumine's expression hardened into absolute seriousness. She materialized her trusty Dull Blade from thin air. It was time to fight first and talk later!
"Lumine!!! Beat her up!!! Get that Mora!!!"
Down in the crowd, Paimon was aggressively shaking her little fists, completely convinced that snatching the prize money would be a piece of cake.
"Is this really a good idea?"
Standing right next to Paimon, Lyney rubbed his nose anxiously. He had accepted a mission from Arlecchino to get close to the Traveler, but right now, he was sweating bullets.
"I trust Lumine's skills, but... that Inazuman Ronin doesn't exactly look like someone you should casually pick a fight with."
Paimon puffed out her chest.
"Don't underestimate Lumine! You might not know this, but her strength has been officially verified by Futsu Mitama himself! And since you two are with the—"
Lyney nearly had a heart attack. He frantically leaned in and hissed, "Shh! Keep your voice down! If you broadcast our affiliation out loud, we'll have to run for our lives!"
Lynette gave a tiny, nervous nod. She was terrifyingly aware of how much Liyue Harbor hated the Fatui.
"But what?"
Suddenly, an unremarkable, perfectly neutral male voice drifted into their conversation. A man with a completely forgettable face had simply materialized right next to them.
Lyney's eyes widened in shock, his muscles tensing.
Who is this guy?! How did he get so close without making a sound?!
Lynette's feline ears flattened against her head, her tail shooting straight up. Her survival instincts screamed that if this man wanted them dead, it would be instantaneous.
"Oh! Wait! That voice?!"
Paimon violently flinched. She turned to look at the unremarkable man, stroking her chin as her little brain gears slowly turned.
"I definitely know that voice! Give me a second... where did I hear it?"
"Don't hurt your brain. It's me. Futsu Mitama."
Mitama immediately put her out of her misery. Forcing Paimon to see through a disguise would take all day.
"OH! OH! OH!!! It IS Mitama!" Paimon's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "How did you change your face like that?! Wait, are you going to join the tournament?! Oh no, it's over! Lumine's prize Mora is totally doomed! SIGH!!!!"
Paimon immediately slumped in mid-air, mourning the loss of their hard-earned cash.
But the instant the name "Futsu Mitama" registered, Lyney and Lynette experienced a massive, paralyzing spike of absolute terror. Their faces drained of all color.
This was Futsu Mitama. The Fatui's ultimate boogeyman.
'Father' had issued a very strict directive: If you make visual contact with Futsu Mitama, and your mission might clash, you can abort the mission and prioritize your own survival. Surrender immediately.
"And who might these two be?"
Mitama shifted his calm gaze to the twins.
He didn't recognize them, but based on their fancy outfits and their sheer, paralyzing dread, he quickly deduced they were Fatui. After all, he had personally dismantled the Sumeru Akademiya and the Tenryou Commission. Only the Fatui still looked at him like he was the Grim Reaper.
Futsu Mitama kept his gaze perfectly calm. He wasn't going to attack just because they wore the uniform—mostly because the terrified twins weren't projecting any hostility or killing intent whatsoever.
"Oh, this is Lyney and Lynette! They're Fatui!"
Noticing Mitama looking at them, Paimon cheerfully and effortlessly threw them right under the bus in a loud stage whisper.
Lyney and Lynette's hearts practically stopped. They froze like statues, terrified that Mitama was about to casually snap his fingers and end their lives. Lyney instinctively shifted his footing, subtly placing himself between Lynette and the "raid boss." his mind racing.
Run? Illusions? No, nothing works against the guy who killed Signora, Scaramouche, and Dottore!
Lynette squeezed her brother's hand with terrifying force.
Stay completely still, brother! Don't do anything stupid!
"Fatui, huh? So why exactly are two Snezhnayan operatives hanging out with you guys?"
Mitama asked, genuinely curious as to why Paimon was so relaxed.
"Well, how should I put it~" Paimon replied playfully, completely oblivious to the twins internally writing their wills. "Mona did her astrology thing and said they didn't mean us any harm, and Lumine said we could trust them for now! So, using my flawless logic, I decided they must be Good Guys!"