The detonation of a nuclear bomb can occur in two ways: an airburst or a groundburst.
An airburst refers to a detonation in the air. Compared to a groundburst, it has a wider range of impact, primarily relying on shockwaves and high temperatures for extensive damage. A groundburst, on the other hand, occurs on the ground, with a smaller blast radius but causing immense destruction to buildings and ground structures due to seismic vibrations.
When Raiden Ei struck, the sea of lightning collided with the missile in the sky, causing it to explode midair!
Because it was an airburst, the missile did not level the terrain like it did in the attack on the Doctor at Tatarasuna. However, the shockwave from the airburst spread even farther.
The massive explosion sent waves of fire and shock rolling outward like a storm in all directions.
No one knew how long it took, but when the explosion finally subsided…
While the topography of Yashiori Island didn't undergo significant changes, the shock and heat from the explosion left the surroundings appearing as if they had been scorched by magma.
Flowers, trees, rocks—everything was obliterated.
As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but blackened and scorched land, extending for dozens of kilometers. All life had been extinguished, creating a scene resembling hell itself.
Even for Raiden Ei, taking a hit like this had a substantial impact.
At this moment, she stood on the scorched red earth, gripping her sword.
Her once elegant and regal attire was now in tatters. The usually composed Raiden Ei appeared disheveled.
Surveying the ruined landscape, her expression darkened.
In an instant, everything within a radius of dozens of kilometers had been annihilated. That strike had reached the power level of a full-force attack from a top-tier Archon!
Under such a devastating attack, even her mechanical body had sustained some damage.
Just as she was marveling at Yae Miko's strike, Yae Miko's voice rang out once again.
"How are you feeling? Still alive, I hope?"
Her tone carried a hint of schadenfreude, as if she took great pleasure in seeing her Archon humbled.
"Hmph!"
Hearing this, both Raiden Ei and Raiden Shogun felt their warrior pride ignited.
"That was indeed an impressive attack. But, Miko, with just this, you cannot defeat me."
"I know."
"You are my Archon, after all. No one knows your power better than I do."
"That's why I just launched more missiles at you. Oh, this time, there are three!"
"What?!"
Raiden Ei's expression shifted drastically.
Good heavens, one missile was already enough to leave her in this state, and now three?
She immediately looked up at the sky, only to see the missiles already closing in!
This time, it was the Shogun who acted. She unleashed a slash toward the sky, and the heavens were filled with streaks of lightning.
However, the three missiles weren't launched simultaneously but staggered.
The Shogun's slash struck the first incoming missile, which exploded instantly, sending a storm-like shockwave barreling toward her.
She was forced to channel her power to withstand the impact, but at that moment, the second missile struck.
This one hit the ground, detonating on impact, causing the earth to shake and the mountains to crumble!
Then came the third missile!
The terrifying successive impacts came in relentless waves. Mountains, earth—everything was obliterated under the onslaught of shockwaves and searing heat.
No one knew how long it took for the chaos to subside.
When the explosions finally ceased…
The once towering mountains, jagged cliffs, and steep precipices, even the remnants of the Orobashi, had all vanished without a trace.
After three missiles, the previously rugged terrain of Yashiori Island had been drastically simplified, transformed into a massive basin.
Within the basin…
Raiden Shogun knelt on one knee, her naginata broken in two and lying to the side.
Under the explosions, parts of her outer flesh had been burned away, exposing the mechanical joints beneath.
Her bones were partially fractured, and her body had sustained 40% damage.
While she could still fight, her current state already spoke volumes.
"Still alive?"
Yae Miko asked once more.
"You!"
Hearing that teasing voice, Raiden Ei felt a flash of irritation.
"It seems you really can't wait for me to die, no wonder you hit so hard!"
"Injustice!"
Yae Miko exclaimed dramatically. "I just thought that, given your stubborn personality and that rigid Shogun puppet, if I didn't beat you into submission, you wouldn't listen to me properly."
"Besides, I still have 15 more missiles left. If I really wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have sent just one missile at first—I'd have launched all 19 at once."
"Fifteen more?"
Raiden Ei's eyelid twitched involuntarily at those words.
Four missiles had already left her grievously wounded. Something so terrifying—and there were 15 more of them?
Alright, she was now utterly convinced that Yae Miko had her best interests at heart.
Because if Yae Miko had even the slightest intention of rebellion, firing just one missile at each location across Inazuma would be enough to obliterate the entire nation.
"Do you want to continue?" Yae Miko teased.
"Enough, that's enough. Come over, let's talk."
Raiden Ei conceded. If they kept going, she might actually die here today.
Moreover, such powerful weapons should be saved for critical moments; using them on her was truly a waste!
With this in mind, she softened her stance and called Yae Miko over to talk.
About half an hour later.
Yae Miko arrived at the basin.
However, as soon as they met, Raiden Ei summoned a blade of lightning and slashed it straight at Yae Miko's head.
Seeing Raiden Ei suddenly attack, Yae Miko immediately crouched down, covering her head, much like a little fox aware of its mistake, resigned to being scolded by its master.
Lightning crackled as the blade sped toward her, but in the end, it stopped just one centimeter above Yae Miko's head.
"Alright, stop pretending. Sit down and let's talk."
Raiden Ei sighed, dispersing the lightning blade with a wave of her hand.
"Not angry anymore?"
Yae Miko asked with a sly smile as she stood up and sat down beside Raiden Ei.
"If you want me to be angry, I can certainly let you experience the wrath of thunder," Raiden Ei replied, casting a sidelong glance at her.
"No thanks. I'd rather not get slashed," Yae Miko quipped mischievously.
In truth, Yae Miko knew Raiden Ei wouldn't actually harm her.
And Raiden Ei, in turn, understood that Yae Miko was well aware of this.
But why did Raiden Ei still slash at her, and why did Yae Miko still crouch down?
Because Raiden Ei was a Archon, a god, and above all, Yae Miko's master.
Yae Miko had caused a massive commotion and even used missiles to wound her master.
At this moment, as a god, a ruler, and a master, Raiden Ei needed to assert her authority to maintain her dignity.
As a friend, Yae Miko had schemed against Raiden Ei with such grand theatrics and even bombed her. Anyone would naturally harbor some frustration over such actions.
Thus, Raiden Ei slashing at Yae Miko upon meeting her was a way to display her authority and express her displeasure.
Meanwhile, Yae Miko not resisting or fleeing but instead crouching down was her way of yielding, restoring Raiden Ei's dignity, soothing her emotions, and apologizing.
This was the unspoken understanding that years of friendship had cultivated between them.
All the resentment and dissatisfaction melted away in that moment of reprimand and submission.
"Alright, speak. What's going on?"
Raiden Ei shot Yae Miko an annoyed glance.
"Here's how it is."
Yae Miko sat beside Raiden Ei and recounted her dealings with Furina from start to finish.
Moments later.
"I see."
Raiden Ei lowered her head, deep in thought. "I didn't expect that another god would be involved behind the scenes."
"While I'm displeased with the Hydro Archon meddling in Inazuma's internal affairs, I must admit that, as a god of another nation, she understands Inazuma's situation far better than I do."
"Seated in Fontaine, she can effortlessly manipulate Inazuma's dynamics."
"By acquiring the Gnosis, she also used Inazuma's own hands to weaken the Fatui."
"Such strategic foresight, orchestrating from thousands of miles away—it is truly admirable."
Raiden Ei expressed her respect for Furina, then asked about the missiles.
Yae Miko didn't hide anything and explained everything related to the missiles.
After listening, Raiden Ei was once again stunned.
"Capable of city-level destruction from thousands of miles away?"
"Such a weapon exists in this world?"
Even Raiden Ei couldn't help but take a sharp breath. "Have other nations outside Inazuma already advanced to this extent?"
"Exactly."
Yae Miko rested her chin on one hand. "Autonomous combat robots, ultra-long-range attack capabilities..."
"I overheard one of the Hydro Archon's familiars mention that the missiles they gave us were merely short-range."
"Short-range?"
Raiden Ei was taken aback. "What does that mean?"
Yae Miko's expression grew serious. "It means they also have medium-range and long-range missiles."
"I once pretended to be curious and pried for more information. It seemed they were eager to showcase Fontaine's strength, perhaps to intimidate us, so they disclosed it to me."
"Fontaine also possesses medium-range missiles with a maximum range of 8,000 kilometers and long-range missiles capable of striking any location on the continent of Teyvat from Fontaine. As for their stockpile of missiles, they didn't specify."
"But considering they gave me 20 missiles, the number they currently have must far exceed 20."
After finishing, Yae Miko fell silent.
Raiden Ei, having heard everything, sank into deep contemplation once again.
If what Yae Miko said was true, it meant that Fontaine, if they wished, could destroy Inazuma from thousands of miles away without deploying a single soldier.
Such destructive capability had already surpassed the realm of what gods could achieve.
Even the so-called invincible Musou no Hitotachi seemed powerless in the face of such overwhelming might.
"Has the outside world changed so much during this time?" Raiden Ei sighed.
"This is what I wanted you to understand."
Yae Miko began. "From my perspective, your so-called eternity is like a girl who, after being hurt by others, locks herself in a room."
"Believing that by isolating herself and cutting off all connections, she will no longer be hurt, no longer experience loss."
"That disaster caused you to lose so much, so you chose to shut yourself away, avoiding contact with the outside world, thinking that as long as you didn't engage with anyone, you wouldn't lose anything again."
"Inazuma is the same. Inazuma has lost far too much because of moving forward, so you hope to seal Inazuma off, restricting it, thinking that as long as it doesn't move forward, it won't lose anything."
"I understand your thoughts, but such thinking is unrealistic."
Yae Miko looked at Raiden Ei with eyes full of sincerity and concern.
"Because time never stops for anyone. The passage of time inevitably takes things away from people."
"At first glance, your self-isolation does seem to keep you from losing anything further, but is that really the case?"
"The festivals of your people, the bustling joy of Inazuma City—over these centuries, so much beauty has passed you by due to your isolation, and you were unable to experience any of it."
"Over these centuries, you might have met more friends, or perhaps, together with me, created even more wonderful memories."
"Inazuma is the same. Without the restrictions of eternity, perhaps your people could have brought countless new creations to Inazuma. Today, Inazuma might even be as prosperous, happy, and advanced as the people of Fontaine."
Yae Miko's gaze at Raiden Ei was filled with softness and concern.
"What I want to tell you is that the eternity you pursue is misguided."
"To avoid further loss, you chose to isolate yourself. But as a result, you lost countless beautiful and new things."
"Inazuma's isolation hasn't protected it; instead, it has cost Inazuma centuries of development, plunging countless citizens into hardship and chaos, robbing them of the happiness and innovations that should have been theirs."
"In pursuit of moving forward, both you and Inazuma have paid a heavy price."
"Ei, I understand your sorrow and pain."
"But Ei, after five hundred years, your people have already emerged from their pain and chosen to move forward. As their god, will you really lag behind your own people?"
"Moving forward may bring loss, but it also brings new things. So, stop running away and look ahead, Ei!"
Yae Miko's heartfelt words left Raiden Ei in prolonged silence.
The explosion of the four missiles had vividly showcased Fontaine's strength.
The stark contrast laid bare for her how much Inazuma had lost over these centuries.
She couldn't help but wonder: if she hadn't imposed restrictions on Inazuma, would Inazuma have become as prosperous and powerful as Fontaine?
In these centuries without restrictions, even if Inazuma couldn't match Fontaine's prosperity, wouldn't her people at least have been happier and more content?
Felina's plan, like a strong medicine, had plunged Inazuma into chaos but had also placed all its problems directly before Raiden Ei and Raiden Shogun.
The people's dissent and dissatisfaction, Inazuma's disorder, its backwardness—all these issues were laid bare and then collectively ignited, forcing not just Inazuma's citizens but also Raiden Ei and Raiden Shogun to face them directly.
It compelled Raiden Ei and Raiden Shogun to reflect on their mistakes, forcing them to grow.
This was like treating poison by scraping the bone—painful, but the quickest and most effective method.
After a long silence, Raiden Ei finally let out a deep sigh.
"Miko, you're right."
"The eternity I sought was merely an impulsive decision born of sorrow. Looking back now, it was indeed naïve."
"Now, I see that the eternity I pursued not only failed to protect anything but also caused both myself and Inazuma to miss out on so much."
"Inazuma's people have proven through their dissent and protests that they've moved past their pain. As their god, how can I let myself stagnate in sorrow?"
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