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Chapter 170. Dottore's Kind Reminder
Raiden Shogun left Tenshukaku. Gazing at the purplish-blue pillar of light on Yashiori Island, she immediately recognized it as a strike containing the authority of Anemo and Electro, as well as the Anemo Gnosis.
Earlier, she had vaguely sensed Futsu Mitama using the Electro Archon's Authority, but she had not paid much attention. After all, after acquiring a new weapon, one would naturally want to find a slightly stronger opponent to test it on.
Hadn't Futsu Mitama frequently used the Electro Archon's Authority in battle while he was in Liyue and Mondstadt?
Although she could sense it, the Raiden Shogun would not pay too much attention to such things. But now…what was going on?
'Should I go?'
Raiden Shogun began to consult Raiden Ei, because not long ago, Raiden Ei had said that they had been doting on Futsu Mitama too frequently, which was not a good thing. Futsu Mitama was indeed the Eternal Guardian of the future, but excessive protection could actually be harmful.
Raiden Ei understood this deeply.
When Raiden Makoto left too suddenly, she had been forced to face the wishes of the people and the many problems within Inazuma.
At that time, Raiden Ei had no idea how to govern.
If not for Yae Miko's assistance, along with the coordinated efforts of the Three Commissions It's likely that Inazuma, 500 years ago, still had not recovered from the Abyssal Tide.
Even now, Inazuma had yet to fully recover. A severe shortage of talent and the decline of the yokai were major issues.
Therefore, after Futsu Mitama forged his companion weapon and learned how to use Devotion, Raiden Ei decided to allow him to develop on his own.
She had already taught him everything he needed to know. There was no longer any need to protect him as carefully as before out of fear that he might die somewhere in Teyvat.
Of course, if Futsu Mitama were to be trapped in the Abyss again by the Abyss Order, Raiden Ei would still intervene without hesitation.
But at this moment, the Raiden Shogun was contemplating whether she should go to Yashiori Island.
Within the Plane of Euthymia, Raiden Ei slowly opened her eyes, a hint of confusion flashing within them.
How much time had passed?
Futsu Mitama had used that power again, and even the power of a Gnosis.
Had he been pushed to the brink?
Or was he simply testing moves out of boredom?
Raiden Ei pondered this. But regardless of the reason, she still gave the order.
"Go and take a look. If anything unexpected happens, Shogun, deal with it yourself."
After speaking, Raiden Ei slowly closed her eyes once more within the Plane of Euthymia.
Upon receiving the order, the Raiden Shogun stepped forward and vanished from her spot.
At the same time, the cyan-purple pillar of light disappeared.
Futsu Mitama immediately looked toward the center. He wanted to see the condition of the mech and Scaramouche.
As a gentle breeze swept through the battlefield, the massive mech had vanished.
Only half a hand and a badly damaged head remained.
Scaramouche now lay on the ground, looking extremely miserable.
He had lost another hand and feet. Judging from their positions, they were the same places where the Raiden Shogun had previously severed his hand, foot, with interest in another foot.
"Damn it… damn it… damn it!"
Scaramouche cursed weakly, his voice filled with anger and resentment.
He couldn't block it.
No matter what he tried, he simply couldn't block it.
Even after using all his strength and exhausting all the elemental power within the mech, he still couldn't stop Futsu Mitama's attack.
That strike had been terrifying—perhaps even more terrifying than when the Raiden Shogun had severed his limbs.
Had Futsu Mitama already reached such a level?
Only now did Scaramouche truly understand why that Shogun Puppet and Beelzebub valued Futsu Mitama so highly.
Why Morax had passed on his legacy to him.
And why Venti wished for him to inherit his position.
There was a reason behind all of it.
Even knowing this, however, Scaramouche's heart was filled with jealousy and envy.
"It seems you're still alive."
Futsu Mitama breathed heavily as he stared at Scaramouche. Gripping the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami in his hand, he spoke in a serious tone.
"But now… you can't move, can you? I'll give you a quick end. Bear with it. I'll be right there."
Futsu Mitama himself was nearing his limit.
After unleashing so many powerful attacks, even an Archon would need time to recover.
Let alone Futsu Mitama, who had not yet reached the Archon Realm.
Even if his physique had reached an "inhuman" level, such consumption was still difficult to sustain.
Even so, he still had enough stamina left to kill Scaramouche.
Holding the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami, Futsu Mitama slowly walked forward, step by step.
However, he suddenly frowned slightly.
In the next instant, he teleported away. His gaze locked vigilantly onto Scaramouche's location. Because at some unknown point, another figure had appeared beside Scaramouche.
Futsu Mitama immediately recognized him.
It was the Fatui Harbinger—Dottore. This version of him appeared neither middle-aged nor elderly, but rather youthful.
"Hm, excellent perception."
Dottore looked at Futsu Mitama and praised him.
"As expected of someone favored by three gods. To be honest, if circumstances allowed, I would quite like to have an academic exchange with you right now. I bear no ill will toward you. As for my middle-aged self, you don't need to pay attention to what he said. During that period, I was overly obsessed with 'wisdom,' which ultimately led to self-destruction."
When speaking of his middle-aged self, Dottore's tone carried a hint of coldness.
That version of him had been too self-willed. As a result, "he" had been blacklisted by Morax, which was far from ideal.
Many of Dottore's experimental sites were located in Liyue.
Now he could not openly enter Liyue and could only rely on his subordinates and assistants to observe from afar.
But why had Dottore created so many segments of himself?
Was it not to observe the world more thoroughly?
And yet one of his own "eyes" in Liyue had been destroyed by himself.
Naturally, this annoyed him.
"Kill him, Dottore!"
Scaramouche suddenly shouted, urging Dottore to act. His voice was filled with resentment.
"He has no stamina left. If you kill him, our plan in Inazuma will succeed!"
"And he has the Anemo Gnosis!"
Scaramouche's words caused Futsu Mitama's heart to tighten.
He was indeed at his limit. If Dottore chose to attack now—He truly had no way to resist. At best, he could rely on the Chakra Desiderata's teleportation ability to buy some time.
But his battle with Shenhe had already proven that this teleportation ability was not invincible.
If Dottore—who knew so much about him—made a move, he would surely prevent Futsu Mitama from escaping.
In that case, Futsu Mitama could only rely on brute strength to face him.
But he had just finished fighting Scaramouche.
Where would he find the stamina to fight Dottore as well?
Even if his endurance was at an "inhuman" level, recovery still required time.
At this moment, Futsu Mitama felt an immense pressure weighing on his heart.
He was truly in danger.
Even Zhongli and Venti could not help him from afar.
If it came to that, he would have to use his final trump card.
Open Yae Miko's pouch. Have her assist him remotely to buy time.
Then fully activate the Chakra Desiderata and open the Plane of Euthymia. Let Dottore face Raiden Ei directly—and see whether he could survive her attacks.
"Alright."
However, Dottore's voice remained calm and gentle. Looking down at the severely injured Scaramouche, he said softly:
"Scaramouche, you don't need to say more. You also don't need to tell me what to do. You should understand that."
Although his voice sounded gentle, it carried an unmistakable authority.
"…."
Scaramouche clenched his teeth. A flash of anger appeared in his eyes, but he said nothing further. Just as Dottore had said, he had no right to order him around.
On the contrary, it had been Scaramouche himself who had requested that "experiment."
"Alright, alright. I have no intention of killing you or taking the Gnosis."
Dottore looked back at Futsu Mitama and continued calmly.
"If I were to kill you, I'm afraid I would have nowhere left to stand on Teyvat. I have no interest in descending into the Abyss or hiding in other remote regions. Those places are useless for my current research."
Dottore clearly understood Futsu Mitama's importance.
If he killed him—He would be offending three gods simultaneously.
And Dottore was not a fool.
On the contrary, he was extremely intelligent.
If those three gods were like Lesser Lord Kusanali in Sumeru or Focalor in Fontaine, he would not hesitate to kill Futsu Mitama right now.
After all, they were enemies.
But unfortunately—
Neither Venti, nor Morax, nor the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma were easy opponents.
Dottore had no intention of risking being hunted down by three Archons simply to kill Futsu Mitama.
"So what do you intend to do?" Futsu Mitama asked cautiously.
He did not believe Dottore would kill him here, but he remained extremely wary. Just because Dottore would not kill him did not mean he would not try to seize the Gnosis.
After all, the Fatui Harbingers' mission was to travel to various nations and collect the Gnosis.
He had already obtained the Electro Gnosis from Yae Miko on Watatsumi Island. There was no reason for him to ignore the Anemo Gnosis now.
"Hehehe… nothing in particular."
Dottore bent down and pulled Scaramouche to his feet.
"I'm simply taking a stroll. And rescuing Scaramouche. He cannot die yet. The plan I mentioned earlier will be carried out on him. To be honest, I'm far more interested in you. Unfortunately, you have little interest in becoming a 'god.'"
"Otherwise, you would be the perfect experiment—"
"Oh no, I misspoke. Perhaps I should say—a pioneer like myself."
As he spoke, a hint of fanaticism appeared in Dottore's eyes. As the first person to discover Futsu Mitama's uniqueness, what exactly was he thinking?
Even his other "selves" could not fully understand his thoughts.
Let alone Futsu Mitama and Scaramouche. Both of them were completely confused by what he was saying.
However, Scaramouche's gaze toward Dottore became increasingly hostile. Dottore's words clearly belittled him while praising Futsu Mitama.
Naturally, that infuriated him. But despite his anger, Scaramouche could only endure it.
After all, he could not defeat Futsu Mitama.
Nor could he defeat Dottore.
—
Being stared at with such fanaticism made Futsu Mitama tighten his grip on the sword.
He was ready for a sudden attack at any moment.
However, Dottore did nothing further. After one final glance at Futsu Mitama, he grabbed Scaramouche with one hand and chuckled.
"You don't have much time left. I'm quite curious to see how this farce will end. Will your plan with Yae Miko succeed… or will the path of eternity prevail?"
"Hahaha— regardless, you should leave this place now."
With that, Dottore prepared to leave with Scaramouche.
"Could it be—?"
Hearing those words, Futsu Mitama's expression changed slightly.
He no longer cared about Dottore leaving. Instead, he immediately rushed toward the main battlefield at Tatarasuna.
"Swish—!"
With a flash of lightning, Futsu Mitama vanished. Watching this, Dottore smiled faintly, clearly interested in what was about to happen.
But after a moment, he sighed with slight regret and also departed, carrying Scaramouche with him.
They needed to leave Inazuma. The plan had already succeeded. If they remained any longer, they would inevitably face the Raiden Shogun's reckoning.
Watching the show was enjoyable. But getting involved simply to watch the show would be foolish.
"Dottore, why?! Don't you want the Gnosis?!"
Scaramouche questioned him again. Not killing Futsu Mitama was understandable. But why not seize the Anemo Gnosis?
Futsu Mitama was exhausted. With the strength of this segment, Dottore could easily have taken it.
So why didn't he?
Scaramouche could not understand.
"The Anemo Gnosis is not my target."
Dottore calmly held Scaramouche with one hand. With the other, he took out the Electro Gnosis he had obtained from Yae Miko.
"That is the Lady's objective. The Gnoses will eventually be gathered. There is no need to rush. There is a saying circulated: 'Greed brings no good.' And according to my current plan—it is not yet time to obtain two Gnoses."
Scaramouche fell silent.
He felt that sooner or later, Dottore would regret this decision.
Futsu Mitama's growth was terrifying.
In just one month, he had gone from an ant that could be crushed at will to someone capable of defeating him.
Previously, Scaramouche could still claim that Futsu Mitama and Shenhe had defeated him together. But now—
Even the arrogant Scaramouche had to admit it. Futsu Mitama was stronger than him. Whether it was using the Gnosis twice, or repeatedly unleashing Musou no Hitotachi and Heavenfall against him—
Futsu Mitama's strength was undeniable.
But it wasn't over yet.
Flames burned fiercely within Scaramouche's eyes.
He had not lost. As long as he participated in Dottore's experiment—He could ascend to godhood. Become an Archon wielding authority.
'Just wait—I'll be back.'
Scaramouche swore silently in his heart.
Meanwhile, Dottore paid no attention to Scaramouche's thoughts. The experimental material had been obtained. And the Fatui's act in this play had come to an end.
"Rumble."
Dark clouds flashed with lightning in the distance, seemingly foreboding something.
"What a pity."
The Dottore sighed again, regretting that he couldn't witness the upcoming scene. This was going to be a truly spectacular show, yet for various reasons, he couldn't watch it. What a shame!
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