Chapter 5: Ritou
Tn: This chapter is re-written at 5 / 19 / 2025
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Inazuma—one of the seven nations of Teyvat—is a closed-off archipelago located in the distant east of the continent.
Unlike Snezhnaya, the land of Ice, Inazuma is a nation ruled by Lightning, surrounded by never-ending storms and named after thunder itself. Fleeting like a flash of lightning, the land is ruled by the Raiden Shogun, who strangely enough, seeks eternity above all else.
Well… to be precise, it's not actually the real Raiden Shogun Baal who currently reigns—but her twin sister, Beelzebul.
Even though they both share the same divine title of the Electro Archon, not many citizens of Inazuma are aware that their current ruler is no longer Baal, but Beelzebul, who took her sister's place long ago.
The storm that gives even Kaeya, the "Lord of Ice Traversal," a major headache—turned out to be surprisingly manageable for Bai Luo.
The reason? The Mirror Maiden.
Only now did Bai Luo finally understand why the Rooster insisted he bring her along. The watery mirrors she conjured were able to deflect the violent lightning, shielding their rather fragile sailboat as they passed safely through the chaotic storm.
Once they were through, even Bai Luo couldn't help but let out a sigh of awe.
No wonder the game's writers never animated the part where the protagonist sails through the storm—honestly, that kind of terrifying scene would be too much for most mobile devices to even render.
"You should go rest. I can take it from here," Bai Luo said as he turned to Sveta, who had just dispersed her magical mirrors.
She didn't argue. After shielding the ship all the way through the storm, she was clearly drained. She gave him a courteous bow before quietly retreating to the cabin.
After instructing the crew to look after her, Bai Luo tossed a dagger upward, its wire wrapping around the lookout mast.
With a gentle press of a switch, the steel cable pulled him smoothly into the air and onto the lookout post.
"That's… Ritou?" he murmured.
At the edge of the sea, a crimson-colored island appeared on the horizon.
Even though he had seen it in-game countless times, the real thing still struck him as unreal. Like something out of a dream.
By the time Bai Luo arrived, the Fatui had already infiltrated this so-called land of "eternity." According to the intel he'd gathered, under their subtle manipulation, the Raiden Shogun had already issued both the Sakoku Decree (to close off the country) and the Vision Hunt Decree (to confiscate Visions).
His mission was simple: find the right moment to steal the Electro Archon's Gnosis, then bring it back to Snezhnaya.
"…Yeah, right. Like hell I'm doing that," Bai Luo muttered, visibly annoyed.
Every time he thought about it, he felt an oncoming headache.
Sure, on paper Inazuma seemed like the easiest nation to get the Gnosis from. But Bai Luo knew the story far too well.
The Raiden Shogun currently sitting in Tenshukaku wasn't Beelzebul at all—it was the puppet she had created. And even if by some miracle he got an audience with the real Beelzebul, who was meditating in the Plane of Euthymia, he still wouldn't be able to take the Gnosis.
Fighting her was one thing—but more importantly, the Gnosis wasn't even with her.
After Baal perished in the war against Khaenri'ah, Beelzebul severed all ties with Celestia. She even handed over the Gnosis, the very symbol of her divine status, to none other than Yae Miko, the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine.
And who was Yae Miko?
The Head Shrine Maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine. A cunning fox spirit, and loyal confidante of Beelzebul herself.
Even Beelzebul had once admitted that if she tried to strike Yae Miko down with her sword, Yae Miko would likely dodge it with ease.
At this point, probably only the Traveler could survive a direct blow from Beelzebul.
Anyway... first things first. He had to set foot on the island. The rest could wait until he was actually on the ground.
As of now, Bai Luo was acting as a diplomatic envoy of Snezhnaya. That alone gave him a layer of immunity—for now, the Raiden Shogun couldn't legally strike him down.
Ritou was part of the Narukami Island chain, and the only official entry point for foreigners during the lockdown period.
Anyone who wished to step foot onto the sacred lands of Narukami had to pass through this checkpoint.
This island, its grounds blanketed in red maple trees, was under the jurisdiction of the Kanjou Commission.
People needed all kinds of permits just to set foot on this island—permits that often required navigating complex procedures or having the right connections. Without them, one could only linger here briefly, stranded alongside other foreigners, taking in the crimson maple trees, blue-tiled rooftops, and the quiet, desolate fishing villages.
But for Bai Luo, the Twelfth Harbinger of the Fatui, this posed no challenge at all.
After all, both the Kanjou Commission and the Tenryou Commission, two of the powerful Three Commissions that governed Inazuma, had already been infiltrated by the Fatui.
The so-called Three Commissions were the core administrative branches of Inazuma's government:
The Yashiro Commission, led by the Kamisato Clan, was the cultural representative of Inazuma. It managed ceremonies, festivals, and public entertainment—deeply embedded in the lives of the common people.
The Tenryou Commission, led by the Kujou Clan, was in charge of military and internal security. It enforced laws, commanded the shogunate's military (excluding the shogun's personal forces like the Shogunate Guard and Hatamoto), and held the authority to issue travel permits.
The Kanjou Commission, run by the Hiiragi Clan, managed Inazuma's finances. Like the Tenryou Commission, it also had the power to issue travel documents. One of its main duties was to rigorously screen anyone entering or leaving Inazuma, maintaining strict control at Ritou.
As the ship drew closer to the dock, the appearance of the island became clearer.
Unlike the snow-covered ports of Snezhnaya, this one was layered with fiery red maple leaves. There were barely any ships docked here—just a few small fishing boats. Not a single merchant vessel in sight.
It was strange. For what should've been a bustling port, the silence felt almost unnatural.
When they approached the harbor, the Inazuman soldiers standing guard didn't act hostile. Instead, they stood straighter, postures crisp and formal—as if preparing to receive an important guest.
Led by the Fatui Pyro Agent, the group of Fatui members disembarked under the watchful eyes of the Inazuman soldiers and stepped onto the island.
"Lord Ausbilder!"
Across all of Teyvat, if there was anyone who still held genuine respect for Bai Luo, it was the Pyro Agents.
After all, every Pyro Agent currently active across the continent had once been trained by him.
"Long time no see, Ah Qi," Bai Luo greeted casually.
Once recruited into the Fatui's special operations unit, they were stripped of their names. What remained were only codenames.
Bai Luo's own codename was BK201.
The agent before him—codename 9527—wasn't part of a joke. He was quite literally the 9,527th person to join the Fatui's special unit.
"Lord Ausbilder! I've already arranged a proper Liyue-style feast through the Chuyu Trading Company—specially prepared to welcome you!"
Bai Luo's origins in Liyue weren't a secret within the Fatui.
The organization respected strength above all else. Not every Harbinger was from Snezhnaya. For example, the Harbinger known as La Signora hailed from Mondstadt. And one of the Harbingers even came from Inazuma itself.
"No need for a welcome feast. I'm here on serious business. Make arrangements—I need to get to Inazuma City as soon as possible."
The scenery of Ritou was beautiful, sure—but the people Bai Luo truly needed to meet were all in the capital.
He was more than eager to get moving.
"…Huh?"
As he stepped off the boat, something caught his eye—a fox statue standing quietly near the pier.
Fox statues like this were a common sight throughout Inazuma. You'd see them at shrines, along forest paths, even on street corners.
But…
This one felt different.
He had the distinct, uneasy feeling that the statue was watching him.