Under the terrified gazes of the Nobushi and the hopeful eyes of Hiiragi Chisato, a figure surrounded by a faint golden glow slowly descended from the sky.
Kagami Ren's expression was cold. These Nobushi were truly a plague upon Inazuma. In just half a day, he had already seen them causing trouble twice.
He hovered in midair, the space around him subtly distorting. With a slight wave of his hand, the Abyss Flower: Black and White returned to his grasp. In the next moment, the Kairagi's corpse turned to dust and scattered into the air.
"Monster! You're a monster!" One of the Nobushi broke down, raising his crossbow and firing at Kagami Ren.
But before the bolt could reach him, it was swallowed by a black hole. In the next instant, another black hole appeared beside the attacker, and the same bolt shot out, piercing straight through his skull.
"Ahhhhhh—!"
Terrified by Kagami Ren's eerie methods, the Nobushi—who were usually ruthless killers—scattered in panic like frightened animals.
"Weak, insignificant, and foolish. Struggling only hastens your death," Kagami Ren said coldly. Black holes formed above their heads, and countless golden beams of energy rained down, obliterating them into nothingness.
"…Why do I feel like I've become a bit edgy after using the Herrscher of the Void's power?" Kagami Ren muttered inwardly, lightly mocking himself as he descended to the ground and turned his gaze toward Chisato.
At that moment, Chisato stared at him blankly. Kagami Ren was already strikingly handsome, and with the effect of the "Teyvat's Number One Romantic" title, combined with his godlike presence bathed in golden light, she found herself completely captivated.
Kagami Ren frowned slightly as he noticed a large wound on her thigh, likely caused when she had been dragged earlier. Blood was still flowing from it.
With a gentle wave of his hand, the power of creation enveloped her, instantly healing all her injuries.
"A-Are you… a god?" Chisato finally snapped out of it. Looking at Kagami Ren, who stood bathed in golden radiance, her voice trembled. She had always believed in the Raiden Shogun, but at this moment, Kagami Ren was the god who had saved her.
"Are you a citizen of Inazuma?" Kagami Ren asked calmly. "Leave this place quickly. The Nobushi are rampant. For someone like you, they see you as prey."
With that, he turned to leave.
"W-Wait, Lord…!" Chisato's voice called out from behind him. Kagami Ren turned back.
"My name is Hiiragi Chisato, daughter of the Kanjou Commission," she said, her face slightly flushed. "Please honor me by visiting the Hiiragi household. I wish to repay you for saving my life."
"…Let's talk about gratitude another time," Kagami Ren said, shaking his head. "I have matters to attend to today. The Kanjou Commission is on Ritou, correct?"
He glanced around. "This place isn't far from Ritou."
After a brief thought, he used the Herrscher of the Void's power to compress space into three small golden crystals.
"Take these," he said, handing them to her. "If something like this happens again, throw one at your enemy. It will explode automatically."
"The power is enough to kill them. Use them carefully—you only have three."
"If you don't use them, you can keep them for self-defense."
"…Alright." Though disappointed that Kagami Ren refused her invitation, Chisato understood she couldn't delay him. She accepted the crystals and said softly, "If you have time, please visit the Kanjou Commission."
Kagami Ren nodded. His figure turned into a streak of light and vanished into the horizon.
"My lord…" Chisato reached out slightly, but he was already gone.
"Chisato, you fool! Why didn't you even ask for his name?" she muttered, annoyed with herself.
"Inazuma has always had the Shogun as its god… If another god has come…" A trace of worry appeared on her face. When a foreign god entered another god's domain, conflict was almost inevitable.
"But he was so gentle… surely he must be a good god?" she murmured. "I hope he doesn't clash with the Shogun…"
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
"Who's there?" Chisato gripped one of the golden crystals tightly, her guard up.
But when she saw who it was, she let out a sigh of relief. It was dozens of retainers from the Kanjou Commission.
Leading them was a soldier named Shinnosuke. Seeing Chisato's disheveled state, his expression changed drastically as he rushed over.
"My lady, are you alright?" he asked anxiously. Glancing at the corpses of the Nobushi, fear flashed across his eyes.
"Shinnosuke? I'm fine…" Chisato murmured, her mind still filled with the image of that radiant figure.
Shinnosuke quickly took out a cloak to cover her. Though her clothes weren't revealing, they were damaged—unbefitting of a noble lady.
"Ah!" Chisato instinctively stepped back as he approached. "Thank you, Shinnosuke. I'll do it myself."
She took the cloak and wrapped herself tightly, then asked curiously, "Why are you all here?"
Noticing her subtle distance, Shinnosuke felt a sting in his heart, but he still smiled. "My lady, the lord was worried about you, so he ordered us to patrol nearby. We heard an explosion and rushed over."
"I see." Chisato nodded. "Then please… bring back the bodies of those who died protecting me. They are benefactors of the Hiiragi family."
Her expression turned somber. Those guards had been young, with families of their own… and now…
With a quiet sigh, she made a silent vow—the Hiiragi family would take responsibility for their loved ones.
"Yes, my lady." Shinnosuke nodded, directing the others to handle the aftermath.
"My lady, everything is ready. Let's return," he said after a while, noticing she was still staring into the distance.
"Ah… right. Let's go," Chisato said softly, withdrawing her gaze and following them back.
…
"Turns out that was Hiiragi Chisato…" Kagami Ren mused as he flew through the air. Wasn't she the one in the game who had a deep relationship with Kujou Kamaji? They had almost gotten married, if he remembered correctly.
"But the way she looked at me just now… something felt off. Am I overthinking it? Or…" Kagami Ren suddenly shivered. "Wait… am I about to inherit the Prime Minister's legacy?"
"She already has someone she likes. That must've just been reverence and admiration toward a god," Kagami Ren muttered, clicking his tongue. "Or maybe it's just been too long since I've been in a relationship… am I getting restless?"
"Well, I'm a model youth of the new era. As for being a 'Prime Minister'… it's not entirely unacceptable." Kagami Ren shook his head. He would just let things take their natural course—he didn't particularly mind either way.