Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

"Rescind the decree?"

Raiden Shogun's cold gaze swept over the trio. "Impossible."

"Those who cannot serve Inazuma hold no value."

Gu Sanqiu sighed softly. This is exactly why the powerful care so little about cutting down the common people.

For those who wield ultimate authority and strength, both the oppressors and the oppressed are powerless to resist them. Everything proceeds logically under the broader rules they impose. As long as no laws are broken, they remain indifferent—because in the end, they command all forces at their disposal.

Just like the one standing before them now.

"Shogun, I humbly request that you step outside the city walls and witness the state of Inazuma today."

Buyu Raimei knelt on one knee. "Inazuma needs new vitality and hope, not absurd policies that merely prolong its decay. The people of this land still await your guidance!"

"Leave."

A bolt of lightning shot out from behind the Shogun, scorching a blackened mark on the ground before Buyu Raimei.

I know all that transpires in Inazuma. Only eternity comes closest to the heavenly principles.

Do you truly understand what's happening?

No, you're wrong!

Gu Sanqiu closed his eyes, then opened them with a resolute gaze, stepping forward to help Buyu Raimei to his feet.

"You've done all you can."

Gu Sanqiu looked up at the Raiden Shogun, his eyes devoid of fear.

"Shogun, do you know there exist beings in this world—beings of unfathomable strength?"

"They can command the seas and the skies, summon storms, tread upon heaven and earth. Such feats are trivial to them."

"Yet why do such beings choose to live quietly in obscurity, leading lives indistinguishable from ordinary people?"

"Because they seek to understand the mortal realm. The myriad paths are born of the mortal world, and the mortal world reflects the myriad paths."

"To comprehend the world is not to gaze upon it from some lofty peak, detached and indifferent, but to immerse oneself in its currents and witness its ever-changing flow."

"To scan it with mere spiritual force, to view it on a screen—these are but shallow observations, far from genuine understanding."

"Impudent!"

Kujou Sara's bowstring drew taut as she conjured a crackling Electro arrow, aiming it at Gu Sanqiu.

"To slander the Shogun is a crime deserving the harshest punishment!"

"Slander? Perhaps."

Gu Sanqiu's unwavering stare remained fixed on the Shogun, unperturbed by the arrow pointed at him.

Or rather, he simply didn't have time to spare on it.

"He's right."

Buyu Raimei stepped up beside Gu Sanqiu. "Shogun, Inazuma's problems run far deeper than a single decree or a mere document can explain!"

"Let them go," Raiden Shogun commanded as she turned away. "Ignorant beings."

Buyu Raimei gripped his sword tightly and took a bold step forward.

"Shogun, wait! Here and now, I—"

"I challenge you to a duel before the throne!"

Raiden Shogun paused mid-step and turned back to face Buyu Raimei, her gaze falling on the silent Gu Sanqiu and Kazuha beside him.

"Who do you wish to challenge?"

"Kujou Sara, General of the Kujou Clan!"

The air around Buyu Raimei was charged with such intense battle spirit it bordered on a death wish. Even the seasoned Kujou Sara frowned, unable to fathom his motives.

"You seek to challenge my subordinate?"

Boom!

A resounding thunderclap mirrored the Raiden Shogun's mood, yet the trio before her stood firm, their expressions unshaken.

"Indeed."

Buyu Raimei drew his blade. "I, Buyu Raimei, formally challenge General Kujou Sara to a duel before the throne!"

"I accept!"

Raiden Shogun turned to Kujou Sara, who bowed respectfully.

"The Shogun's dignity must not be sullied!"

"...Permission granted."

The soldiers nearby surged forward. While it was true that Kujou Sara had agreed to the duel, there was no rule stating the combatants had to fight fairly.

Though the Shogun herself wouldn't intervene, the soldiers saw this as their only way to protect their revered general and ensure her honor.

Even if the punishment for their actions was death, they would accept it without regret.

"You think they're the only ones with allies?"

Flames roared to life around Gu Sanqiu as Kazuha sheathed his blade and bent low, preparing to unleash his signature Iaido strike.

"Kill!"

In a duel where no rules existed, victory was the sole objective for both sides—by any means necessary.

"Go, Raimei."

"This may be your final battle, but whether it's the lone flame or the wind that dances with the leaves, neither shall falter."

"Let your thunderous blade shake the Tenshukaku to its core!"

Kazuha spoke calmly. "We'll clear the path for you!"

"Maple—Blade!"

"Blazing Wrath!"

Gu Sanqiu's roar echoed as the ground shattered beneath him. The volcanic force of his flames scattered the soldiers like leaves in a storm.

Fire and wind intertwined, forming a crimson serpent streaked with veins of green. Buyu Raimei leapt onto the serpent's back, closing the distance to Kujou Sara with alarming speed.

Behind me stand comrades who face gods without retreating.

I am not alone!

"Thunderflash."

Kujou Sara traced her fingers across her brow and stepped back, releasing a burst of lightning and shadowed wings behind her.

"Let the eternal thunder reign supreme!"

The clashing domains of lightning and wind triggered a cascade of elemental reactions, sending waves of energy rippling outward.

The crimson serpent beneath Buyu Raimei transformed into wings of blue and red, pressing tightly against his back. Purple Electro coursed through his veins, intertwining with Kazuha's green Anemo energy.

"With this blade, I fight in my name, with my life, and until my death!"

Boom!

The explosion knocked the wind out of Buyu Raimei, and blood spilled from his lips. He had forced his elemental power beyond its limits to accelerate his approach—a calculated risk he had anticipated.

It was a gamble, devised with the support of Gu Sanqiu and Kazuha, to overpower Kujou Sara head-on with sheer force.

"Thunder—Strike!"

Leveraging his enhanced mobility, Buyu Raimei surged into Kujou Sara's domain of lightning. Sharing the same elemental affinity, the domain's attacks were somewhat dulled against him.

High above the Tenshukaku, the Shogun's typically stoic expression finally betrayed a flicker of emotion.

This strike carried no complex technique—just the purest and most straightforward thrust. Yet, bolstered by unyielding will and combined elemental power, it unleashed devastating might.

Electro coursed through his wounds, searing his body with pain, but it wasn't enough to make him falter.

His mission outweighed the agony.

Even the retreating soldiers looked on in shock, unable to comprehend the source of his resolve. How could he keep his grip steady on his blade despite such injuries?

"Inazuma will change because of me!"

Buyu Raimei became the embodiment of his blade, charging forward with unstoppable determination.

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T/N: erm i know move names aren't like accurate but like frig u (not actually, but if you do supply the accurate translations for the move names then I will change it ^_^)