"I didn't do it on purpose."
Qin Yu's throat bobbed, forcing himself to look up at the moon in the sky, not daring to look down.
It was well known that swords were ominous things, and so were their scabbards.
Not to mention that what he was about to draw was the sword of the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma.
The scabbard's killing intent was too heavy; if he kept looking directly at it...!
Qin, being honest, couldn't help but steal a few glances, trying to get the position right.
Damn it, what was blocking his sight and reflecting light!
"Qin Yu!"
The Great Leader noticed Qin Yu dawdling outside and urged him coldly.
Beneath her calm and dignified demeanor, an unprecedented sense of unease surged in her heart.
Recently, she had been suddenly recalling memories of Qin Yu being physically intimate with her...
She suddenly regretted suggesting that Yu draw the sword.
"Then... Great Leader, I'm going to start now."
Qin Yu tentatively explored the depths of the Plane of Euthymia.
He had to concentrate and carefully feel the sword's location...
"Where are you touching?"
Ei's purple eyes glinted with coldness as she glared at Qin Yu.
As she spoke, she slowly raised her jade hand, clenching it into a fist.
Dawdling even when drawing a sword, was he even a man?
"This is my first time in a place like this, and I don't know where the sword is!"
Qin, crying foul, instinctively grabbed Ei's shoulders.
As expected of the Great Leader.
The space was collapsing, trapping his arm, and it was getting tighter.
Please, stop shaking around!
He pointed to the Dream Scepter.
"!"
Ei took a deep breath and slowly turned her face away.
In the quiet little woods, a gentle and comfortable evening breeze blew.
Under the moonlight, her profile was breathtakingly beautiful, her purple hair falling down, obscuring her slightly flushed cheeks.
Ei tilted her chin up, wanting to assert her authority as the Great Leader.
"Ei, you're so beautiful."
Qin, looking at the calm and serene Great Leader, mumbled unconsciously.
With such beauty before him, he suddenly felt that the Dream Scepter wasn't that appealing anymore.
After all, if he could win over the Great Leader, he would skip thousands of years of detours. What was a mere divine artifact compared to that?
General, hungry, hug!
"...Hurry up."
Ei's composure broke in an instant, her rippling eyes glancing at Qin Yu.
Being praised by Yu like this made her heart feel warm.
Although there was a suspicion of deliberate flattery.
But she couldn't help it; Qin Yu was the prize she had set her sights on.
He could talk more if he was so eloquent.
"Okay."
Qin Yu's gaze held something more as he quietly stepped forward.
His hand, which had been on her shoulder, moved down along the perfect curve of her back, encircling Ei's slender waist.
The atmosphere was already like this; just drawing a sword wouldn't be interesting.
"...!"
Ei glared at him, and before she could speak, Qin Yu, who had lowered his head, covered her lips.
The subordinate, who had been planning this for a long time, boldly kissed his superior again.
"Great Leader, it's more convenient to draw the sword like this."
Qin Yu looked at the pouting Ei and smiled.
...
After a long time, they separated.
"Hiss."
Qin Yu bared his teeth, wiping the blood from the tip of his tongue.
He had drawn the Dream Scepter.
Although he had spent a lot of time entangled with the Great Leader during the process of drawing the sword.
After all, he hadn't just extended his hand, but also his...
In the end, as expected, he was bitten hard.
Thinking of this, Qin couldn't help but smile wryly, reminding him of the Great Dream Mother of Wisdom.
She also liked to bite mouths.
"Hmph, take the Dream Scepter and leave."
Ei turned her back to Qin Yu, her tone fierce.
Like a little wife full of resentment.
"But I don't know how to use it yet, Ei."
Qin Yu leaned closer to Ei, blinking his eyes.
Great Leader, don't be angry.
How about some hands-on martial arts instruction?
"See who's disobedient and chop them."
Ei snorted lightly, glaring at Qin Yu, whose face had slightly stiffened.
The Great Leader's words had a hidden meaning.
"Cough, alright then."
Qin Yu moved to an open space in the distance, holding the sword and unleashing several slashes of light, starting to get used to the Dream Scepter.
"..."
Ei watched Qin Yu practice, her gaze soft.
Sister's Dream Scepter... I'll entrust it to you for now, Yu.
"Ei, can you guide me?"
Qin, the schemer, was at it again.
...
After some training, the two walked hand-in-hand in the small woods.
The evening breeze was gentle, and the moonlight was hazy.
Just like their hearts, which were close to each other, quiet and beautiful.
This was Qin Yu's last moment before he set off.
...
"Ei, I want to know about the Outside of the Dark Sea."
Qin Yu pulled Ei to sit by a small pond and said softly.
"Why are you suddenly asking about this?"
Ei was somewhat surprised by his words, and her gaze became serious.
"I heard that the Fatui Harbinger, Arlecchino, is trying to open a passage to that place."
Qin Yu took a deep breath and recounted the information he had learned from Columbina.
Ei listened silently, and finally understood.
"The Outside of the Dark Sea is a space where one can enter but never leave, and it is not subject to the Heavenly Principles."
She looked at Qin Yu, who was deep in thought, and smiled.
"Do you know what that means?"
"No."
Qin Yu shook his head, surprised that the Great Leader would also play coy.
"During the Archon War, those defeated Archons who were not sealed away ultimately fled there, never to see the light of day again."
Ei's words made Qin Yu's eyes widen.
Wow, Archons everywhere.
Inazuma had such a strange place!
Arlecchino wanting to open it, did she need the authority of a certain Archon?
"She's also eyeing the Enkanomiya, isn't she?"
Ei's purple eyes narrowed, her voice growing colder.
"How did you know?"
Qin Yu was stunned; he hadn't said anything yet.
Ei glanced at Qin Yu with a look of disdain.
After spending so much time together, had he forgotten she was one of the Seven Archons?
Qin Yu quickly started to massage the Great Leader's shoulders.
Working and reading light novels all day must be too hard.
Do you need a leg rub?
Qin Yu was glared back at by the Great Leader.
"The Archon Orobashi once wanted to escape to the Outside of the Dark Sea and open a passage."
Ei continued to explain.
"So... he accidentally discovered Enkanomiya?"
Qin Yu followed this line of thought and deduced.
"The space there is complex, situated at the intersection of the three realms."
Ei nodded slightly, perhaps there was a way to connect to the Outside of the Dark Sea there.
The so-called three realms are the Human Realm, the Elemental Realm, and the Void Realm.
The Human Realm corresponds to Teyvat, the Elemental Realm to the Dragons, and the Void Realm to the Abyss.
Legend has it that the King of the Water Dragons will be born in Enkanomiya.
I wonder who the King of the Water Dragons will be; I want to catch him.
"..."
Qin Yu nodded silently, his expression solemn.
"If you have any ideas, just go ahead and do them."
Ei leaned her head gently on Qin Yu's shoulder, her eyes soft.
"If those Archons dare to come out, I'll help you cut them down."
"?"
Qin Yu only realized it later, and couldn't help but smile.
So the Raiden Shogun also served as a kind of prison warden.
As expected of the Great Leader, saying something so violent with a calm expression.
But those Archons... could they be caught with a net?
Qin Yu secretly took note of this thought.
...
"Then I'll go take care of the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual?"
Qin Yu asked the Great Leader for leave to go out.
Yes, with Columbina and the maid Lumine.
Ei nodded slightly, agreeing.
But before Qin Yu could respond.
"What is your relationship with Columbina?"
The casual question made Qin Yu freeze.
The Great Leader was starting to check up on him!