Ayaka was startled by Lumine's bold words and actions. After quickly collecting herself, she hurriedly said:

"Lumine, things aren't as simple as you imagine. The war in Inazuma was ignited by the Vision Hunt Decree issued by the Shogun."

"As long as the Shogun refuses to change her mind, the war won't end. It's extremely dangerous. I can't let you walk into such danger and confront the Shogun!"

Lumine let out a soft snort and glanced at Paimon.

As a seasoned flatterer, Paimon had always kept a mental ranking of who deserved the best flattery.

When Ryen was around, she flattered Ryen.

When Ryen wasn't around but Ningguang was, she flattered Ningguang.

If neither of them was present, Paimon became Lumine's most loyal supporter!

Immediately, Paimon crossed her arms and wore a face full of pride.

"Hmph! Our Lumine is super strong! She punches Stormterror and kicks Osial! That Raiden Shogun? Piece of cake!"

Lumine nodded in satisfaction.

Ayaka couldn't help but smile at their antics. Shaking her head with a soft chuckle, she said:

"The Shogun isn't someone who can be compared to Osial."

"The Shogun is a god who has taken the path of the sword to its peak. She once sliced down Orobashi in a single strike and split an island in half."

"The thunderous brilliance of Musou no Hitotachi is the ultimate dream pursued by all warriors."

"But those who've seen that strike… are all dead."

"Lumine, I appreciate your goodwill, but I can't allow you to put yourself in such danger."

"If you're going to Inazuma to find your brother, I'll help you."

Ayaka thought that, after all that explanation, Lumine would surely give up the idea.

But looking at Lumine's cheerful smile, it was clear she didn't care at all.

Ayaka wanted to say more, but Paimon jumped in again with her flattery.

"That's nothing to worry about!"

"Lumine and her brother even fought against the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles back then!"

"And we're not going to Inazuma just to find her brother, you know? I'll tell you a little secret, Ayaka…"

Paimon sneakily looked around, then leaned in close to Ayaka's ear and whispered:

"Lumine's brother is the prince of the Abyss Order! Lumine's backing is super scary!"

Ayaka looked at Lumine in disbelief.

Suddenly, she understood where Lumine's confidence came from.

As a friend of the Anemo and Geo Archons, and a close companion of Ningguang and the others, neither Mondstadt nor Liyue would ever let harm come to Lumine.

Not to mention, Ryen especially liked Paimon, the little flatterer, and treated Lumine as a beloved younger sister.

If Lumine really were to confront the Raiden Shogun and things got dangerous…

Ryen could show up and throw a punch at any moment.

From what everyone said, Ryen was a being even stronger than the Geo Archon, capable of smashing the Heavenly Principles.

Although Ayaka didn't know exactly what the "Heavenly Principles" were, the fact that all three nations of Liyue, and even the Geo Archon himself, regarded it as the ultimate enemy…

It had to be terrifying.

And that was just Lumine's known background.

Behind the scenes, there was still that brother of hers—the prince of the Abyss Order.

Would he really just sit back and watch Lumine get hurt?

If Lumine were ever in mortal danger in Inazuma, the Abyss Order might very well launch a full-scale attack.

Lumine wasn't some ordinary traveler at all—she was a walking ultimate doomsday bomb that could explode at any moment.

But the more terrifying Lumine's background was, the more Ayaka couldn't bring herself to let her go to Inazuma and risk getting hurt.

If anything went wrong, whether Inazuma could remain safe was still uncertain.

"Lumine…"

Ayaka looked at Lumine with some hesitation.

"Don't worry, Ayaka! It's totally fine!"

Lumine grinned cheekily at her.

"I won't recklessly go head-to-head with the Raiden Shogun. Besides, I do have the means to protect myself."

Ayaka pressed her lips together.

"Can you tell me… the real reason you insist on going to Inazuma?"

Lumine thought for a moment, then softly said:

"Part of it is that I want to help you deal with the chaos in Inazuma."

"And another part… Zhongli once said that my brother made a pact with him, asking him to ensure I keep traveling and uncovering the secrets of this world."

"I do need to continue my journey to regain the strength I once had."

"And lastly… Ningguang and the others are working together to stand against Celestia. The Raiden Shogun would be a powerful ally."

"If we add Inazuma to our cause, our strength will only continue to grow. Then, we'll have a much better chance against Celestia."

"Oh right—Ayaka, you probably don't know what Celestia is, do you?"

Lumine thought for a moment, then lowered her voice:

"Celestia is the true mastermind behind the destruction of Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago. They control the floating island in the sky, standing above even the Seven Archons. You could say… they're the administrators of this world."

"My brother and I were separated and sealed by the so-called Sustainer of Heavenly Principles."

Ayaka's heart trembled. She truly hadn't known there was a power even higher than the Seven.

"Wait a minute! Five hundred years ago?"

Ayaka seemed to catch an important detail and said thoughtfully:

"If the historical records are accurate, that was indeed the turning point for the Shogun."

"The Shogun used to be kind and compassionate, placing the people first. But after the attack of the dark creatures five hundred years ago… she changed."

"So everything began with the Khaenri'ah incident…"

Ayaka fell into deep thought, and after a long pause, she said gently:

"Lumine, I can take you to Inazuma—but you must promise me you won't do anything dangerous!"

"Relax! I'm not that reckless!"

Lumine waved her hand casually.

Ayaka breathed a sigh of relief and said softly:

"In that case, I'll be counting on you. Let's work together to change the Shogun's heart and restore Inazuma to what it once was."

"Afterward, I'll talk to my brother and request the Shogun to join forces with you all—to face Celestia together!"

Lumine nodded happily.

She had been spending lavishly in Liyue all this time, living off Ningguang's generosity, even though Ningguang never minded.

But Lumine still felt uneasy about it.

She had been in Liyue so long now, and had already spent over a billion Mora of Ningguang's money.

Lumine wanted to do something for Ningguang, to help her in return.

To be honest, Ayaka felt a lot more at ease knowing Lumine was willing to help.

After all, Lumine was a Traveler from beyond the stars—maybe her involvement could create some miraculous chain reaction.

With that thought, Ayaka and Lumine entered the Yun-Han Opera Troupe.

At this moment, the opera house was packed to the brim, with curious spectators peeking and craning their necks from every corner.

In fact, there was barely even standing room left.

~~----------------------

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