Chapter 34: Chapter 34
This figure moved incredibly fast. To many onlookers, he was like a red lightning bolt, reaching the Raiden Shogun in an instant.
But the Shogun was faster.
The Musou Isshin once again crackled with lightning. Since there were no members of the Tri-Commission in the direction of the cherry blossom tree, she swung her blade without hesitation.
Though it was a casual strike, its power was far beyond what an ordinary person could withstand.
The lightning-wreathed blade easily sliced through the figure's body, cutting him in two.
The roaring lightning serpents plunged into the ground behind him, leaving a deep trench.
"Huh?"
After cutting him down, the Raiden Shogun paused in surprise.
The two severed halves of the body quickly fused back together.
He grabbed the floating Vision, flipped in mid-air, and landed steadily on the ground.
A flash of lightning crossed the Raiden Shogun's eyes as she glared at the mysterious figure clutching the Vision, her expression stern and filled with killing intent.
Though their encounter was brief, with her abilities, she could clearly discern some details.
The moment the Musou Isshin was about to strike him, his body seemed to undergo some kind of transformation.
The blade had indeed cut through his body, but there were no traces of flesh or blood at the severed points.
It wasn't that the lightning had evaporated the blood or charred the flesh.
What she had cut was an element never before seen in Teyvat.
Quantum.
Elemental Burst: [White]
Passive Effect: When attacking non-Vision bearers, there is a 5% chance to quantumize them (instant kill). Vision bearers have the same chance to take triple damage.
Active Effect: After charging for 2 seconds, quantumize yourself, instantly teleporting to the target. The next normal attack is guaranteed to crit (45-second cooldown). Without charging, quantumize in place, entering a brief invincibility state (5-second cooldown).
PS: Quantumization may have unpredictable side effects. Continuous use is not recommended.
In simple terms, this was similar to the elementalization seen in One Piece.
Bai Luo had relied on the brief invincibility of quantumization to dodge the Raiden Shogun's near-fatal strike.
It felt a bit like exploiting invincibility frames.
The Vision in his hand was scorching hot, but Bai Luo gripped it tightly, not daring to relax.
Given his personality, he wouldn't normally take such a risk.
If the mission hadn't provided a prompt, he would have likely stayed hidden in the tree, watching the duel unfold.
But after the young man's death, the previously obscured unlock requirements finally revealed themselves.
[Second Profession: Battousai (Pending Activation)]
[Activation Requirement: Obtain the target Vision and hold it for more than 30 seconds. During this time, teleportation abilities cannot be used, and you cannot leave the arena. (Note: You must personally hold it for over 30 seconds. Teammates do not count.)]
The word [Target] that had been above the young man's head now shifted to the Vision.
If the activation requirements had remained hidden, Bai Luo might not have taken the risk.
After all, he was always so... cautious.
But now that the requirements were clear and the chance of success was high, he was willing to gamble.
[30]
[29]
The moment he grasped the Vision, a crimson countdown began ticking in his vision without obstructing his sight.
Bai Luo could feel a certain power flowing through his body.
This energy circulated through him, taking exactly 30 seconds to complete.
"Protect the Shogun!"
The Raiden Shogun was about to strike again, but Kujou Takayuki of the Tenryou Commission suddenly roared.
"Eternity is vast! The Narukami is eternal!"
Following Kujou Takayuki's order, the Tenryou Commission soldiers and the Shogun's guards shouted their battle cry and charged at Bai Luo.
Well played!
Ever since arriving in Inazuma, Bai Luo had disliked Kujou Takayuki.
Even though the man had been fawning over him.
But there was no denying that this move made Kujou Takayuki seem more... agreeable.
Had he recognized Bai Luo's identity?
Of course not.
It was purely because Kamisato Ayato's earlier actions had enlightened him.
The Raiden Shogun had been secluded in Tenshukaku for years, and Kujou Takayuki hadn't seen her step out in a long time.
The first opportunity had been snatched by Kamisato Ayato. This second chance was something Kujou Takayuki wouldn't let Hiiragi Shinsuke take.
The soldiers surrounding Bai Luo also made the Raiden Shogun hesitate when swinging her blade, ensuring her lightning wouldn't harm Inazuma's soldiers.
This maneuver bought Bai Luo at least several dozen seconds.
"Fall back! Don't interfere with the Shogun!"
Kujou Sara, who had already drawn her bow nearby, was the first to notice this.
Apart from the Shogun's guards, the Tenryou Commission soldiers instinctively halted.
Though Kujou Takayuki was the head of the Tenryou Commission, as the current general, Kujou Sara's authority was clearly higher.
Noticing this, Kujou Takayuki merely frowned slightly and said nothing.
While the Tenryou Commission soldiers were torn between following the general's orders or the clan head's, Bai Luo was already engaged in a one-sided battle with the Raiden Shogun.
"Engaged" was a generous term. It was more accurate to say the Shogun was attacking Bai Luo, while Bai Luo relied on his agility and quantumization's invincibility to evade.
If they were truly fighting, Bai Luo could have held his own against the Raiden Shogun for a while thanks to his unique skills.
But his fighting style was too distinctive. Aside from invisibility and quantumization, the moment he made a move, his true identity would be exposed.
As a Snezhnayan envoy, he wasn't ready to openly clash with Inazuma yet.
He could only hope that the Battousai profession, once unlocked after 30 seconds, would grant him new skills.
Under the orders of their commander, the Shogun's guards retreated to a safe distance.
Kamisato Ayato, who had been confronting Kaedehara Kazuha, also tactfully moved him to a less dangerous area.
The ruined arena was now empty, save for the Raiden Shogun and Bai Luo, clad in red robes and wearing a cat-faced mask.
[25]
The Raiden Shogun, a veteran of the Archon War, quickly figured out the cooldown of Bai Luo's invincibility.
After perfectly baiting out Bai Luo's quantumization, the Musou Isshin in her hand once again crackled with lightning.
These five seconds were more than enough for her to deliver a fatal blow.
"Wait!"
Seeing the lightning in the Raiden Shogun's eyes grow brighter, Bai Luo deliberately lowered his voice and called out to her.
"Do you have any last words?"
Having mastered the pattern of Bai Luo's quantumization, the Raiden Shogun looked at him with confidence.
Even if he survived these five seconds, she was confident she could strike him down in the next five.
"Huff... huff..."
Pretending to catch his breath, Bai Luo endured the five seconds and then grabbed the broken half of the young man's sword.
"Do you dare to take a strike from me?"