Chapter 31: Welcoming the Shogun
Tn: This chapter is re-written at 5 / 20 / 2025
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The duel before the Shogun was set to take place at the training grounds of the Tenshukaku.
Contrary to Bai Luo's expectations, this time the duel wasn't open to the public—only a few high-ranking officials of Inazuma were allowed to attend.
That threw a wrench into his plans—he had hoped to stir up trouble amidst the chaos of a crowd, but now he had no choice but to abandon that idea.
Still, the Raiden Shogun herself would be present.
Come to think of it, even though Bai Luo had come to Inazuma as a diplomat from Snezhnaya, he had yet to meet the Shogun in person.
Partly, he didn't want to meet her—and it seemed the feeling was mutual. The Shogun had delegated all diplomatic affairs to the Tri-Commission.
Technically, it was the responsibility of the Yashiro Commission to handle foreign guests, but Kujou Takayuki of the Tenryou Commission had eagerly taken on the job himself.
After all, the Yashiro Commission hadn't yet been infiltrated by the Fatui, and they were worried that things might go sideways.
As a representative of the Fatui, Bai Luo also received an official invitation from Inazuma to observe the highest-level duel in the nation.
Of course, it wasn't a gesture of friendship—it was a show of power.
But Bai Luo declined with a polite excuse, claiming he wasn't feeling well.
If he wanted to make his move, he obviously couldn't show up in broad daylight.
Otherwise, the only thing that would get "stirred up" would be him.
Just in case, he even prepared a traditional Inazuman outfit and picked up a cheap cat-face mask from a street vendor.
His abilities allowed him to vanish from sight, but in a place like this... who knew what might happen?
What if the Raiden Shogun could see through his stealth?
Preparation was everything.
. . . . . . .
The duel was scheduled for noon, but the young man arrived at the Tenshukaku before dawn.
He sat on the steps beside the training grounds, quietly playing with his cat and nibbling on a cold rice ball.
Some of the Shogunate soldiers preparing for the duel took notice of him.
But perhaps because of his unique status, they didn't drive him away.
"You're here awful early, kid. The duel doesn't start until noon."
The one who spoke was a samurai overseeing the security of the event—Hatamoto officer Shima Masanobu. He handed the young man a bowl of hot tea.
"This might be the only time in my life I'll get to see the inside of the Tenshukaku. Of course I want to take in the sights while I can."
The young man accepted the tea with a half-joking smile, offering his thanks.
"I've been guarding this place for decades now," Masanobu said as he sat down beside the boy, gazing at the Tenshukaku. "To be honest—though it might be blasphemous to say—it's really nothing special after a while."
The Tenshukaku, the most revered place in all of Inazuma, took up almost half of the city.
Its massive structure, glimmering golden ornaments, and thunder-infused roof tiles gave it a majestic, yet foreboding aura.
To the people of Inazuma, it was a place of longing—and a place of fear.
"I think I know why you challenged the general to a duel," Masanobu continued, "but kid, your way of thinking is a bit extreme."
"You misunderstand, old man," The young man replied with a smile. "I only challenged her because I wanted to see her 'Musou no Hitotachi'—the Shogun's legendary strike."
Rumors about his true motives had already begun to swirl across the city.
Some said he and Kujou Sara had been childhood sweethearts, but she had fallen for someone else, prompting a duel born of heartbreak.
Others believed his family had been killed during the Vision Hunt Decree, and he was seeking revenge.
But recently, a third version of the story had started to spread among the people...
He had challenged Kujou Sara not for personal revenge, nor out of love or heartbreak, but to take a stand against the Vision Hunt Decree.
And among all the swirling rumors, this was the one that gained the most traction.
Even many within the Tri-Commission found it the most believable.
"If you need help with anything, come find me," Masanobu said with a sigh, giving the boy a firm pat on the shoulder before standing up to resume his security duties. "You've still got half a day."
No one truly believed he would survive the duel.
That's right—survive.
Victory was still possible... but survival? Not a chance.
Even if the Shogun herself spared him, the Tri-Commission would never allow him to walk away alive from Tenshukaku.
"Half a day, huh?"
With a strand of grass in his mouth that he was using to tease his cat, the boy looked up at the pale blue sky.
"Still feels like forever..."
The white cat curled in his arms didn't notice anything strange about its master.
It simply batted endlessly at the dangling grass blade, trying to catch it with its soft paws.
Time passed.
One by one, the representatives of the Tri-Commission began to arrive.
The head of the Hiiragi Clan, Hiiragi Shinsuke.
The head of the Kujou Clan, Kujou Takayuki.
And the head of the Kamisato Clan—Kamisato Ayato.
Thoma was still stuck on Ritou and hadn't returned, so Ayato was followed only by an ordinary servant.
He spotted the boy still sitting on the steps playing with his cat, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Unlike the other two clan heads, Ayato didn't approach with mockery or provocation.
He simply took his seat and waited quietly for the duel to begin.
No one knew how long had passed... when suddenly, the great doors of the Tenshukaku began to open.
The once light-hearted atmosphere fell dead silent.
The three clan heads stood up in unison, without needing a word exchanged between them.
The Oniwaban, personal guards of the Raiden Shogun, began to march out in formation.
They answered to no one but the Shogun herself.
Their role wasn't to protect her—after all, what mortal could protect a god of thunder who pursued the pinnacle of martial strength?
Rather, they served to keep others away. Their purpose was to ensure that no one crossed boundaries they weren't meant to, for their own safety.
But their presence always meant one thing—the Raiden Shogun would be arriving in person.
Tap... tap... tap...
All eyes turned to the Tenshukaku's doorway.
No one dared even to breathe too loudly.
In the wind-swept stillness of the training grounds, the only sound that remained was the rhythmic echo of footsteps from within the palace.
They weren't loud, but they carried a strange power—A rhythm that seemed to sync with the beating of everyone's hearts.
One step.
Then another...
Each tap of the approaching footsteps landed like a weight on their chests.
Several young soldiers began to pale, their knees trembling with fear.
Such was the aura of the Raiden Shogun.
Even before she appeared, she subdued all with her presence alone.
But the one who stepped out first was not her.
It was Kujou Sara, who had been waiting in the Tenshukaku since the night before.
She was already dressed in battle gear, a tachi (long sword) held firmly in her hand.
Though famous across Inazuma for her exceptional archery, Sara's swordsmanship was far from weak.
Not only had she trained endlessly in the military barracks—she had also been personally taught by the Shogun herself.
This was Teyvat, not a game with fixed roles and limitations.
Here, anything was possible.
Just as Klee might wield Wolf's Gravestone, or Kamisato Ayaka a Claymore with the wrong passive, or Diluc carry Kaeya's weapon—Seeing Kujou Sara with a tachi wasn't all that strange.
As she stepped forward, Kujou Sara respectfully moved aside and bowed deeply toward the grand hall.
"We welcome the arrival of Her Excellency, the Shogun."