The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

Unfortunately, he didn't pay attention to how badly his physical condition had deteriorated, nor did he know the so-called Evil Eye, which, while granting mortals immense power, came at a heavy price...

"Zheping, are you alright?" The usually oblivious Paimon lowered his head and stared intently at Zheping's hair. "You look so young, why... do you already have so much gray hair? It's strange, is it a hereditary disease in the family?"

"I don't know either, cough! Maybe I caught a cold..."

Zheping gave a forced smile, then turned back to lead the way. Halfway there, he suddenly saw Zaoyou dart by, landing squarely in front of a mint plant and reaching out to pluck it. He went over and waved to her, reminding her:

"There are a lot of deceptive flowers around here, so let's not pick the mint randomly, we..."

Before he finished speaking, a burst of lightning light suddenly erupted from where the mint was, and then a Deception Flower sprouted out.

In an instant, a crisis arose.

Upon seeing this, Ying, who hadn't been paying any attention to this area, hurriedly drew her bladeless sword:

"Trying to fool me with flowers? Be careful, early pomelo!"

"Well..."

Zaoyou covered her head, still somewhat confused due to the influence of the lightning element.

Seeing this, Zheping quickly shielded her in front of him, then took out the Evil Eye: "Let me—!"

"Let me do it."

In an instant, flames erupted.

Kiana raised the Flame King Sword and slashed down fiercely, cutting the Thunder Deception Flower, which mainly hunted by ambushes, in two!

"So strong..."

Teppei exclaimed in genuine admiration. He had thought that his strength had increased dramatically since he obtained the Evil Eye, but he was still impressed by this white-haired girl.

He felt that even if he absorbed ten or even a hundred times more power from the Evil Eye, he still couldn't catch up to even a tenth of her strength.

"I guess I'm still not favored by the gods, I have no talent..." Zheping withdrew his gaze, staring intently at the evil eye he held in his palm, and sighed.

Ultimately, the Evil Eye is nothing more than a deconstruction of the Eye of God by the Winter Kingdom. While the benefits it brings are considerable, allowing the young master to activate the Demon King Armament, an enhanced attack mode, it is still a significant advantage.

However, its side effects are also surprisingly severe, especially for those who do not have the Divine Eye.

Diluc's father died because he used the Evil Eye once.

The fact that ordinary people like Teppei, who were not granted the Eye of God, were able to use it several times without immediately dying is clearly because the Fools have made new breakthroughs and improvements in their research on the Evil Eye.

But how many innocent lives were lost at the cost of these achievements? Perhaps only the fools truly know...

"Zheping, give up the Evil Eye." Kiana sheathed the Flame King Sword and uttered these words silently.

"Give up...but without it, I..."

"Stop now, and you might live another ten or twenty years. The Evil Eye isn't as great as you think."

As Kiana spoke, she turned her gaze to Ying, who was concerned about comforting Zaoyou.

Seemingly sensing her gaze, Ying slowly raised her head, expressing her inner confusion with a puzzled expression.

"Young Master, do you remember what state you were in after using the Evil Eye?"

"I remember, he... looked really uncomfortable."

"This is still for someone with the Eye of God, Teppei... Although it's not nice to say it like this, someone with the Eye of God would be much stronger than you even if they used the Evil Eye. And the side effects... would definitely not be stronger than yours."

The harsh reality is despairing.

Zheping seemed to have finally come to terms with the facts. He slumped weakly to the ground, and even though his clothes and pants were covered in mud, he didn't react. He just sighed as if he had lost his soul.

"I sensed it months ago, but I didn't want to admit it. But it seems... I really don't have the talent. Even if I risked my life... I'd never reach your level. Hehehehe..."

How could Teppei not know the dangers of the Evil Eye?

But as one of the disadvantaged, and one of the rebels who raised the banner against the Eye Hunting Order, he had no choice but to secretly use the Evil Eye to enhance his strength, just like everyone else.

However, Kiana's arrival ruthlessly shattered his illusions...

"Sigh, perhaps someone like me, who isn't watched over by the gods, shouldn't have any expectations of myself..."

However, his self-destructive behavior did not last long.

“A long time ago, my academy headmaster said that he hoped to cultivate Valkyries who knew how to care for themselves. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but later I realized how important it is to know how to take care of yourself. Teppei, your ideals are certainly noble, but sometimes you should calm down and think about yourself. After all... only the living can realize their ideals.”

Kiana's heartfelt words not only shocked Teppei, but also surprised Ying and Paimon.

The two looked at each other, then turned to look at Zheping, who was slowly getting up from the ground.

"Only living people can realize their ideals... Hmm, I understand."

Perhaps it was because he had finally resolved his inner conflict that Teppei stopped hoping for power he shouldn't have.

He took a deep breath and then forcefully threw the evil eye into the sea.

'thump!'

The evil eye, given to him by the Fools, sank to the bottom of the sea like a piece of rubble that no one cared about.

After putting his mind at ease, Teppei touched the back of his head and slowly said:

"Perhaps without it, I would still be nothing but a burden, but even if it takes ten or twenty years of effort, I will still do my best to abolish the Eye Hunting Order."

"That's good... Let's go, take us to join the resistance. I have a feeling that soon..."

Kiana hesitated for a moment, then urged Teppei to lead the way as soon as possible.

The group then spurred their horses onward toward the rebel camp, finally arriving at their destination at sunset.

"We've arrived. I'll take you to see Lord Goro now. Then we'll be comrades-in-arms on the same side!"

"Yes." Everyone nodded in unison, then followed him into the ranks of soldiers... preparing to meet the so-called resistance fighters and become their comrades...

Song of Flames and Lightning (Genshin Impact Inazuma Main Story): Chapter 61: Are we the kind of people who can kidnap that general?

With Teppei's introduction, Kiana, Hikari, and others successfully reunited with Goro and joined the resistance, becoming a solid force against the Eye Hunt Order.

"Haha, with you guys joining us, I'm sure—!" Goro laughed cheerfully, his two fangs making him look both fierce and loyal like a dog.

Just as he was about to exchange pleasantries and then explain the current situation to the newly joined Kiana and the others...

"Report...Report! The Shogunate General Kujo Sara has arrived with a large force! We can't hold out much longer, Lord Goro!" The sudden appearance of the messenger surprised everyone present.

The messenger, dressed in rebel uniform, had his hands hanging limply, several short arrows stuck in his arm, and was bleeding.

His arrival made everyone present realize that something was wrong.

Goro was the first to react.

"What?! Why did she..."

Goro, who was in command, knew very well how strong Kujo Sara was, and he could tell from the messenger's arrow wound.

The battle has definitely entered a heated phase...

"Damn it, why did these shogunate troops attack without even giving us a warning?"

The sudden arrival of the enemy left everyone, who had been preparing for a good rest, feeling quite helpless.

"Uh, why would Kujo Sara suddenly bring people after us for no reason?"

“Paimon, have you forgotten that we’re already wanted?” Luminous replied slowly.

"Hey... even if you're wanted, there's no need to make such a big fuss, right?"

Paimon's question was quite reasonable, so much so that Ying didn't quite know how to answer her for a moment.

After thinking for a moment, she turned her gaze to Kiana:

"Shall we go help?"

"Yes, go ahead. Kujo Sara wouldn't have come here for no reason; she must have come for us."

Although a few details have been omitted this time, the most crucial moment has arrived.

On the battlefield soon to come, Xin Hai will lead his ambush troops.

Once you bring Ying and meet up with her, the system's mission will be complete. As for what to do next...

"Who cares, let's get it done first."

Kiana made up her mind and then nodded to Ying.

Both sides accepted Goro's request for help, and the small number of rebels marched in a mighty procession to meet the approaching shogunate army.

Upon arriving at the location, Goro, who was in charge of command, was completely dumbfounded.

"Why... so many people! Did Kujo Sara bring everyone from Inatsuma Castle here?"

He looked around and saw that the beach, which should have been empty, was now almost completely filled with soldiers of the Shogunate army.

Dressed in dark combat uniforms and wielding sharp weapons such as guns, knives, and swords, they exuded an aura of power and lethality.

Faced with such a massive number of enemy troops from the Shogunate, the rebels were like a bunch of little kids about to be taught a lesson, except for symbolically raising their swords as a show of force.

There's absolutely no way to deter them in the slightest...

Soon, the resistance forces on the beach were defeated and retreated in a very sorry state, leaving only a few fallen comrades who were captured alive by the shogunate army, all of them showing signs of being on the verge of death.

This scene infuriated Goro, who was in command, so much so that he gritted his teeth and wished he could immediately lead his men to rush over and rescue his comrades.

"Damn it, Kujo Sara! Are you trying to wipe us all out?!"

"Humph."

Kujo Sara, positioned opposite the main force, simply ordered his men to keep a close watch on the rebels, then turned his attention to Goro...

Kiana and the others were behind him.

She would never forget Kiana's face, nor the humiliation she had inflicted upon her... if it weren't for the fact that she knew the vast difference in strength between herself and this white-haired girl.

Even severely injured, she would rush forward without hesitation to challenge her, avenge her humiliation, and completely wash away the shame of being utterly defeated in front of everyone...

However, personal honor or disgrace is utterly insignificant compared to the safety of the general.

"Now that she's appeared, does that mean the General...? No, impossible, the General will be alright. She must have hidden him... Force might not work, perhaps we can try a hostage exchange..."

Kujo Sara closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before finally turning his gaze to the vanguard of the Fools.

These warriors, who arrived in winter, carried extremely special elemental equipment, and were able to kill enemies using elemental power even without the Eye of God.