Gacha Hell: Furina Edition

The sky was shrouded in rolling dark clouds, completely blotting out the sunlight. Within the clouds, flashes of terrifying lightning streaked across, followed by the low, ominous rumble of thunder.

Inazuma was anything but peaceful.

One towering wave after another crushed any hope small boats might have had of crossing these waters. Amid the churning sea, danger lurked everywhere. The air was thick with a stifling tension, oppressive enough to make it hard to breathe. The flickering lightning above and the surging waves below weighed heavily on the heart.

But the crew of the Xingzhao Xing (Death Star) were unfazed by this oppressive atmosphere.

In fact, they were all grinning.

The steel-hulled ship was solid and steady, rocking only slightly in the massive waves—hardly an issue.

"Everyone ready?!" Beidou shouted.

"Don't worry, Captain! We're all set!" The sailors hoisted up a long pole.

Dangling from the pole were several Electro Crystals.

Before setting sail, Beidou had made thorough preparations.

Beneath the pole, a wire connected directly to an energy extraction device.

"Xingzhao Xing, run the calculations—can we pull this off?"

The ship's AI assistant, named Xingzhao Li by Beidou, processed the request instantly.

"Captain, current success probability: 80%."

"Eighty percent?"

Beidou glanced up at the sunless black clouds and nodded. "Eighty's enough!" She turned back to the crew. "Listen up, boys! Stay sharp—don't let the lightning fry us!"

"Don't worry, Captain!"

These sailors had followed Beidou for years. Braving thunderstorms wasn't new to them.

But this was their first time doing it aboard the new Xingzhao Xing.

Most ships had lightning-proof designs, but this time, Beidou wanted it to get struck—as much as possible!

The shipbuilders had outfitted the Xingzhao Xing exceptionally well. The key to this operation lay in the special lightning rods erected on the deck, each tipped with Electro Crystals.

"Here it comes!"

Kazuha's expression turned serious.

The Xingzhao Xing was now venturing deeper into the heart of the storm.

From the outside, the storm had merely looked intimidating. But once inside, the true terror of Inazuma's waters became clear.

"Ready—!"

The ship's speed gradually slowed.

On the lightning rods, the Electro Crystals crackled with sparks.

BOOM—!

Thunder roared through the clouds.

A bolt of lightning snaked through the sky like a living creature.

Then—

CRACK!

A blinding flash streaked down from the heavens, striking the Electro Crystal at the tip of the rod.

The moment it hit, the energy extraction device hummed to life.

"Direct hit!"

Beidou burst into laughter. "Anyone hurt?!"

"All good here, Captain! Everyone's fine!" Haishou called back.

"No injuries here either," Kazuha confirmed.

Beidou scanned the deck before asking, "Xingzhao Xing, how's the energy looking?"

"Report, Captain. Energy extraction device charged: 5%."

"Only 5%?!"

Beidou was stunned.

Such a violent bolt of lightning—she'd expected at least 10%!

"Captain, first, the energy extraction device's capacity is much larger than you anticipated."

"Second, based on calculations, the lightning that struck us did not contain Electro Archon energy. This means that while the storm is influenced by the Raiden Shogun's will, it is not directly formed by her power. Thus, the lightning was a natural phenomenon—and relatively weak."

Beidou blinked, then laughed. "Well, that's good news! At least the Raiden Shogun doesn't know what we're up to!"

Kazuha couldn't help but chuckle.

Their actions were essentially stealing electricity.

But from another perspective—

If you wanted to do business in Inazuma, you had to cross the storm!

Getting struck by lightning during the journey was just part of the deal.

They were merely making use of the lightning that would've hit them anyway.

"Keep going! Let's get this thing fully charged!" Beidou was in high spirits.

The new Xingzhao Xing was incredible—fast, spacious, heavily armed, and now, storm-proof!

Once the energy extraction device was fully charged, Beidou felt like they could sail for years without worrying about fuel.

Cutting out that cost? That was pure profit!

Command Tower.

Shouta was scribbling furiously in his notebook, his excitement as wild as the storm outside.

"The shipgirl idea is absolutely right!"

As a light novel writer, his mind was already conjuring images of a warrior clad in naval armor, standing fearless against the thunder!

So cool!

So badass!

This was a completely new genre for Inazuma's light novel scene!

"Truly, inspiration comes from travel!" The more Shouta thought about it, the more convinced he became.

When he returned, he would shake the foundations of Inazuma's literary world.

Hmph! Time to give these outdated writers a wake-up call!

He filled page after page.

Most of his earlier notes had been travel logs—interesting, but nothing groundbreaking. Now?

Shouta could confidently say: The first half of this notebook is trash, but the middle section? Pure gold.

This wasn't just a notebook anymore.

It was his ticket to becoming a legendary light novel author!

"Shipgirls… and maybe… card battles?"

Shouta paused, deep in thought.

"What if the shipgirl's weapons were also card-based? Each card could summon different cannons? Maybe even rank them by power?"

The idea felt solid.

"One novel for shipgirls, another for card battles, and then a crossover where they combine!"

By now, Shouta had already mapped out three potential novels in his head.

"Hey, genius novelist! We're about to break through the storm—you'll be back in Inazuma soon!" a sailor joked.

Shouta smiled. "Don't call me a genius. I'm not one."

He didn't consider himself special—just lucky to be ahead of the curve while Inazuma's writers were still stuck in the past.

"At this rate, we'll dock at Ritou in about half an hour," the sailor said. "Think you'll be able to get through customs?"

Shouta thought for a moment. "Shouldn't be a problem. I've still got connections from my time here."

"That's good. If not, we can always drop you off at some remote beach—you can sneak in from there."

"Not a bad backup plan!"

A few minutes later, the Xingzhao Xing burst through the storm.

Sunlight bathed the ship once more, glinting off the steel hull.

"Nothing beats a full charge," Beidou mused happily.

It was like a modern person with a fully charged phone—nothing felt better.

"Xingzhao Xing, full speed ahead! Let's get our novelist home!"

"Aye, Captain!"

As the ship accelerated, Kazuha stood in the command tower, gazing out at the horizon.

Slowly, the outline of Ritou came into view—and with it, the stunned faces of those onshore.

"What in the world is that?!"

On the vast ocean, the silhouette of land grew clearer.

Closer and closer.

Beidou had sailed from Liyue to Inazuma countless times.

But with this advanced new ship, there was no need to stick to old routes.

Ahead lay Ritou—Inazuma's gateway to the world.

"How can a ship be that huge?!"

As the Xingzhao Xing approached, its sheer scale became undeniable.

Ritou was a unique place in Inazuma—the primary port for foreign merchants.

After the Sakoku Decree, any foreigners who hadn't left in time were stuck here.

Half of Ritou's population was Inazuman; the other half hailed from the other six nations.

The closer the ship got, the more terrifying it appeared.

It was like a floating fortress!

And those cannons—three triple-barreled turrets—were unlike anything anyone had ever seen.

"That's… the Crux Fleet's symbol!"

"The Xingzhao Xing?!"

Beidou was a well-known figure in Ritou.

At the very least, merchants recognized the infamous "Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean."

"Is that my shipment?!"

Some merchants were thrilled—others, nervous.

This was Ritou—technically, this was smuggling.

But most officials turned a blind eye.

If you don't smuggle, how do I tax you?

If I don't tax you, how does the Kanjou Commission get its cut?

This was the reality of Ritou.

Under the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree, loopholes were everywhere.

But the real corruption came from within.

The Kanjou Commission was a prime example.

The Sakoku Decree had to be enforced—but in Ritou?

How it was enforced was up to them.

For the average person, crossing the line meant punishment.

But for those with power?

Heh.

"Tch. Disgusting." Beidou spat.

She had zero respect for the Kanjou Commission.

But this wasn't Liyue.

Even if she despised them, she couldn't just kill them.

The Kanjou Commission was one of Inazuma's three great commissions—directly under the Shogun.

Causing a diplomatic incident wasn't worth it.

"Unload the cargo, fast. The sooner we're done, the sooner we leave."

Not a single Kanjou Commission official dared board the Xingzhao Xing.

The ship loomed over the dock, its deck a sheer ten meters above the pier.

These officials, usually so arrogant, wouldn't dare disrespect Beidou.

She wasn't someone they could mess with.

Can't touch the Kanjou Commission bigwigs?

But you?

Easy.

So no inspections—but the cargo?

That was another matter.

"Captain, I'll be heading off now," Shouta said.

"Stay safe," Beidou nodded. After a pause, she added, "Check if you can pass through. If not, I'll see if I can pull some strings."

"I'll go ask now!"

Shouta disembarked and approached a Kanjou Commission officer.

Moments later, he returned with a travel permit.

"I'm cleared!"

"Good."

"Guess the Captain's reputation really helps," Shouta grinned.

"Doubt it," Beidou shrugged.

She had some influence, but not enough to fast-track permits.

The Sakoku Decree was strict—sometimes relaxed, sometimes brutally enforced.

The real reason?

Shouta was Inazuman.

"Either way, thanks, Captain!" Shouta clasped his hands.

"Don't mention it," Beidou waved. "When your book's out, send me a copy."

"I'll print a special edition just for you!"

"Now that's what I like to hear!"

Beidou laughed. "Alright, I won't keep you. Get moving before that permit expires."

Shouta bid farewell to Kazuha and Haishou, then slung his bag over his shoulder and strode away from the port.

Inazuma… I have returned!

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T/N:

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