Genshin Impact: My villain system is a little different.

"So boring..."

Havria sat there with her chin in her hands, looking bored.

"Sister Havria, didn't you say you wanted to see the battlefield? Now that I've brought you here, why do you look so bored? You're hard to please, Sister Havria."

Jiang Ning teased.

Havria said: "Look who's talking. I thought it would be a proper battle between armies, but what is this? Just a village brawl?"

A group with hoes, starting with tactics but devolving into chaos, becoming like a village fight.

Not many people total.

The few shogunate soldiers retreated step by step, while the rebels, being surrounded with those inside unable to exit and those outside unable to enter, mostly just stood around with hoes and poles making noise.

Jiang Ning stood up, dusting his hands: "Nothing more to see... Hm?"

Just as Jiang Ning decided to rest, he saw lightning in the distance.

"Wait, this is interesting."

Havria also saw the lightning, her salt sensing telling her a powerful Vision holder approached.

"Is that General Kujou from earlier?"

An arrow shot skyward like thunder, suddenly exploding into brilliant purple light illuminating the dark battlefield.

The rebels surrounding the squad were counter-surrounded by more numerous shogunate troops.

Someone on the battlefield shouted "Kill these Raiden Shogun dogs!" and "For Lord Orobashi!"

"Fighting again for their dead god?"

Havria's eyes showed pity.

"Why can't they just live peacefully?"

Jiang Ning said: "Sister Havria, you underestimate some followers' faith in their gods... Even in Liyue, weren't many from the Eight Trades exiled?"

Havria sighed. Indeed, she'd heard about this. Believing she was killed by Morax's sneak attack, plus some followers' self-deceptive records, many of her followers insisted lies were truth.

When Jiang Ning presented the truth, they believed truth was lies.

So they were expelled by the other Qixing and Eight Trades.

Now they were wanderers.

Havria said quietly: "After I properly revive, could we..."

Jiang Ning interrupted: "Sister Havria, don't say that. It's impossible. Never mind if Liyue's people would agree, but do you think some people truly believe in you? Want revenge for you? Most just use it as an excuse for their own actions, giving themselves justification."

After all, among the exiled, many weren't originally Salt God followers. How could a god dead for so many years develop so many followers?

Don't joke. Though sorry to Havria, did they think she was Pure Star or Elysia?

Havria became downcast: "It's all my fault..."

Jiang Ning patted Havria's arm, indicating she shouldn't blame herself too much.

During their conversation, the battle had intensified, or rather, after the shogunate's encirclement formed, it became one-sided.

"How to say... Those surrounded, panicking, plus their lazy guard duty earlier, doesn't seem fake..."

Jiang Ning muttered.

"Could Kujou Sara have factored in her troops' laziness? What talent."

Jiang Ning had heard about Kujou Sara - the Raiden Shogun's top general, extremely loyal.

Plus tengu bloodline...

A complete Raiden Shogun superfan and devotee.

Otherwise, Jiang Ning's wall-climbing thoughts would stir again.

"The rebels' reinforcements arrived."

Havria organized her thoughts, looking strangely at the rebels' direction.

What were these people doing? You surround me, but you think you surround me, actually I surround you?

Actually I've been waiting here, waiting for your encirclement.

What kind of nesting dolls was this?

However, even Havria who didn't understand warfare could see the rebels were clearly caught off guard.

Because the reinforcements were scattered, looking panicked.

"Is Inazuma full of youkai? The shogunate's general is a tengu, the rebels have a... Shiba Inu?"

Jiang Ning saw the rebels' leader, a male with dog tail and ears, short but extremely agile.

Also an archer.

Layer upon layer, basically a mess.

But the shogunate forces were still shogunate forces, quickly forcing the rebels to retreat, finally fleeing.

Kujou Sara waved, her troops pursuing the rebels, focused on beating the retreating enemy.

"No need to watch, it's over... These rebels probably acted independently, needing rescue."

Jiang Ning said.

"Huh? There's unauthorized action and battlefield insubordination?" Havria was surprised.

"Usually not, but who knows? Maybe the rebel leadership is a mess, fighting for power. Such things are common."

Jiang Ning said.

Just as Jiang Ning prepared to rest, his peripheral vision caught several sneaking figures in the gradually quieting battlefield.

Wearing clothes from rebels, shogunate, even many Fatui.

They secretly moved some bodies, leaving most but taking mainly rebel corpses, probably hiding evidence.

Oh, this was interesting. Both sides seemed heavily infiltrated by Fatui... This so-called civil war just got interesting.

...

The next day Jiang Ning continued his farming life, encountering several shogunate patrols.

But Jiang Ning was puzzled.

Were these patrols slacking? Or just watching for rebels?

They didn't even clear roadside monsters... unless Kujou Sara led them.

Jiang Ning understood why Yae Miko commissioned him.

At a rarely visited cliff, Jiang Ning suddenly heard an energetic voice.

"Fireworks coming!"

A girl here? Setting off fireworks?

Jiang Ning curiously walked toward the voice and explosion.

The fireworks exploded low - failed experiment?

Jiang Ning approached, seeing debris scattered on the beach and a golden-haired girl coughing continuously.

"cough cough Failed again, what went wrong?"

The girl sounded frustrated.

"Excuse me, what are you doing here?"

Jiang Ning finally asked, watching her monologue.

"Hm?"

The girl turned puzzled, seeing Jiang Ning, her eyes brightening.

"Such a handsome boy."

Jiang Ning: "..."

The girl realized what she said, becoming shy, quickly waving: 

"That's not what I meant, just, just... Oh never mind, I'm Yoimiya. Do you like fireworks?"

"Fireworks?"

Jiang Ning was confused.

Yoimiya said: "Yes, fireworks! My family runs Naganohara Fireworks in Hanamizaka. We sell so many fireworks!"

Speaking of fireworks, Yoimiya's eyes clearly lit up.

Jiang Ning took the chance to observe Yoimiya.

A sun-like girl whose smile unconsciously infected others.

Though face smudged from failed experiments, it couldn't hide her beauty.

Though young, she was graceful. Her pyrotechnician outfit, wrists and chest tightly bandaged, emphasized her feminine charm.

Her exposed snow-white shoulders had tattoo-like sticker decorations.

Though looking bold and avant-garde, she didn't show too much skin - just right.

Jiang Ning said: "Naganohara... I remember, during the Lantern Rite, the biggest fireworks supplier was Inazuma's Naganohara Fireworks."

Then he became puzzled: "Wasn't the Sakoku Decree in effect then? How did you transport goods out?"

Yoimiya said: "Ah, you're a guest from Liyue, hello... Well, thanks to Sister Beidou then. You know Sister Beidou, right? The Alcor's captain - they say she's famous in Liyue."

Jiang Ning said: "Yes, Sister Beidou is amazing... So you're alone here experimenting with new fireworks? Aren't you afraid of trouble in the wild, being a girl?"

Yoimiya nodded: "Yeah, can't experiment freely in the city, might cause problems... Besides, I have a Vision, I can protect myself."

Speaking, Yoimiya showed her Vision, then quickly hid it.

She looked around vigilantly.

Has the Vision Hunt Decree become so severe... Jiang Ning thought silently.

"Shame the Shogun doesn't seem to like fireworks. They're such wonderful things... representing everyone's beautiful aspirations."

Yoimiya said.

Jiang Ning responded: "Maybe because fireworks are fleeting, opposing your Shogun's pursuit of eternity..."

Yoimiya muttered: "But fireworks may be fleeting while human feelings endure. True eternity comes from people inheriting beautiful memories and continuing remembrance... Ah, I'm not opposing the Shogun, just my humble opinion. Maybe as a god, she sees things differently from us..."

Jiang Ning didn't respond, just thinking silently: Look, look, Raiden Shogun, your people understand better than you.

Seeing Yoimiya cleaning the beach, Jiang Ning asked: "Heading back?"

Yoimiya said: "Mm-hmm, used up materials, need to go back and improve things."

Jiang Ning nodded: "I'll go with you then, I'm heading back too."

"Great! By the way, is Liyue fun? Any interesting things?"

Yoimiya faced Jiang Ning, surprising even herself - they seemed like old friends reuniting.

...

Back in Hanamizaka, Yoimiya acted sneakily like hiding from someone, even having Jiang Ning help cover her several times avoiding Tenryou Commission people.

Reaching home, Yoimiya finally sighed relief, patting her chest causing magnificent waves, saying:

"That was close, almost got caught."

Jiang Ning joked: "Why do you act like a fugitive? Doesn't that make me an accomplice?"

Yoimiya laughed: "Haha, not a fugitive, just because of the Vision. Better avoid Tenryou Commission people..."

Jiang Ning nodded: "I see... But seems there are more patrols than before, what's happening?"

Yoimiya looked guilty: "D-don't know... See you next time."

Seeing Yoimiya's tightly closed door, Jiang Ning shook his head, walking toward the inn.

"Jiang Ning, look there, on the wall."

Havria's voice rang out.

"Hm?" Jiang Ning looked, amused.

The wall had wanted posters showing Lumine and Paimon's photos, and on the other side... that Kamisato Commission retainer from before?

What was his name... Thoma?

Jiang Ning looked at the wanted poster, muttering:

"What kind of naturally wanted constitution is this... Wanted in Mondstadt, wanted in Liyue, now wanted in Inazuma too, really ridiculous."

Havria said: "Let's ask Keqing what happened?"

Jiang Ning nodded. Back at the inn, he finally saw Keqing.

Keqing was in good spirits, seemingly having gained the upper hand in negotiations with the Kanjou Commission.

"Though I don't know why, the Tenryou Commission seems subtly on our side. Everything's going smoothly, probably just a day or two until we finish Inazuma business. Once their goods and compensation arrive, we can go home."

Keqing started chattering seeing Jiang Ning.

"With work successfully completed, our wait for compensation in Inazuma is vacation time. Want to tour Inazuma City together?"

Not Keqing's first time inviting Jiang Ning, so she was casual.

Jiang Ning said: "But Inazuma isn't very interesting... Come to the wild with me to fight monsters, I can teach you some swordplay for self-defense."

Keqing looked delighted: "Sure!"

"But first, tell me what's happening with Lumine?"

Jiang Ning asked.

----

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