Evening came, signaling the end of training.
After the students finished their usual hour of group dance, Luo Qing dismissed them to rest. He exchanged a glance with Ayaka, and the two quietly left the Tenryou Commission together.
Earlier, after his visit to Tenshukaku, Luo Qing had informed Ayaka that she would be able to meet with Raiden Shogun that evening. Although Ei had agreed, she also imposed a condition: Ayaka had to go alone. Luo Qing would not be allowed to stay during their conversation.
Because of this, Luo Qing simply gave Ayaka a few words of encouragement and let her head up by herself.
On Ayaka’s side, despite having mentally prepared herself the previous night, her heart still fluttered with nerves when she found out that she would truly have the opportunity to request the abolishment of the Vision Hunt Decree directly from the Shogun.
Standing at the entrance of Tenshukaku, she took a deep breath, gave Luo Qing a determined nod, and stepped through the towering doors.
Since she was young, Ayaka had rarely met the Shogun in person. Matters of state were usually handled by her brother, and this was the first time she would have a private audience with the Raiden Shogun.
After informing the attendants of her identity, they no longer stopped her as they had in the past. Instead, they gave a respectful bow and led her into the Shogun’s chamber.
When the door opened, the sight before her left Ayaka feeling a bit confused.
On the dais sat the legendary Raiden Shogun, her hands poised in a meditative gesture, eyes closed in deep concentration. And beside her, much to Ayaka’s surprise, stood Luo Qing, the very person who had been cheering her on just moments before outside the Tenshukaku gate. He seemed to be quietly muttering something to the Shogun.
“I’m telling you, don’t be too harsh… and don’t just stay silent… She’s coming here all alone, you know… If you make her cry, it’s going to be a mess to comfort her…”
“Don’t put on that cold act… Just give her some kind of response…”
Luo Qing was well aware of the Shogun’s stern and sometimes harsh demeanor. Knowing her straightforward personality, he felt it necessary to offer a bit of advice and support for Ayaka’s sake.
As the door creaked open, Raiden Shogun’s eyes flicked open, casting a glance at Luo Qing, as if to ask: What are you still doing here?
“…”
“Remember what I said!” Luo Qing urged one last time, before reluctantly exiting the room. He exchanged a reassuring nod with Ayaka as he passed her, then walked out.
As the door closed behind him, Ayaka turned her gaze back to the Shogun, who had now risen from her seat, standing above her with the imposing presence of a god overseeing her people.
“What is it?”
Those two simple words carried an overwhelming weight, causing Ayaka’s chest to tighten. Even breathing seemed difficult under such pressure. But she had come this far—there was no turning back.
Taking a deep breath, Ayaka straightened up and said firmly, “Shogun, I have come here to request the abolishment of the Vision Hunt Decree!”
The core of their discussion was the abolishment of the Vision Hunt Decree, touching on political matters at the top and the lives of the common folk below. In Ayaka’s mind, the Shogun had to have been influenced by the Tenryou Commission and the Kanjou Commission to enact such a decree.
If she could honestly convey the suffering and pain it had caused the people, perhaps she could persuade the Shogun to cancel it, restoring the peace of their past.
But soon enough, she realized that the Vision Hunt Decree was not the result of manipulation from the Tenryou or Kanjou Commission. It was the Shogun’s own decision. She was well aware of the decree’s consequences, yet chose to persist.
Luo Qing stood outside the door, listening intently. Thanks to his enhanced senses, he didn’t need to press his ear against the wall to hear the conversation inside.
As Ayaka’s voice grew quieter and more uncertain, laced with hints of desperation, he knew the discussion was nearing its end.
He wasn’t particularly surprised by the outcome. If the Shogun could be swayed by Ayaka’s words alone, then there would be no need for Lumine or that cunning fox to get involved later.
Soon after, a stern reprimand echoed from the Shogun’s chamber, signaling the conclusion of their dialogue. The attendant beside Luo Qing pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Through the crack, Luo Qing could see Ayaka’s slumped shoulders. Her posture alone spoke volumes about her despair.
He glanced up at the Shogun, who remained as aloof as ever, her expression unreadable, as if she bore no responsibility.
The Shogun had dismissed them, and Ayaka, acknowledging her failure, bowed deeply and left the room with the attendant.
As she turned around, Luo Qing noticed the faint trace of a tear clinging to the corner of Ayaka’s eye.
Damn… She really cried…
“Honestly…”
Luo Qing shot a reproachful glance at the Shogun, thinking, I told you to go easy on her. How could you end up making her cry?
“Master… Let’s go back…”
Ayaka’s head hung low, her pale blue bangs hiding her eyes. It was impossible to tell if her emotions were more rooted in disappointment or pain.
“Alright…”
Luo Qing glanced one last time at the Shogun, silently vowing to settle this score later.
Outside Tenshukaku, they passed the Statue of the Omnipresent God. Ayaka couldn’t help but look back at it.
“Master… Do you think the Shogun’s Vision Hunt Decree is truly right?”
“What do you think, Ayaka?” Luo Qing asked in return.
“I don’t understand what the Shogun means by eternity… All I see is how the Vision Hunt Decree has turned so many lives upside down… how people have even lost their lives because of it…”
Even now, she struggled to grasp why the Shogun clung so stubbornly to the decree. Why were Visions seen as a threat to eternity?
They had existed for so long already.
“So, Ayaka, you still wish to bring down the Vision Hunt Decree, don’t you?”
“Yes… but I don’t know what to do anymore…”
The Shogun’s expression during their conversation, along with the opposition she’d faced from the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions, left Ayaka feeling lost.
She had once believed the decree’s true enemies were the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions. Now she understood—her greatest adversary was the Shogun herself.
“Don’t lose hope.”
Luo Qing gently ruffled Ayaka’s hair. “I’ve seen a sign. In the not-so-distant future, a traveler from Liyue will arrive in Inazuma. She’ll stand by your side and help bring down the Vision Hunt Decree.”
“A sign? A traveler?”
Remembering the Shogun’s unyielding stance, a flicker of doubt and sadness crossed Ayaka’s face.
“Do you truly believe there will be a day when the Vision Hunt Decree is overturned?”
“Absolutely. My predictions have never been wrong.”
Luo Qing gave her a comforting smile, ruffling her hair a little more.
“A traveler… from Liyue…”
Ayaka lowered her head, her thoughts swirling with uncertainty.
…
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