When she realized that Gu Chen could no longer respond to her, Raiden Ei slowly lowered her head.
Two clear streams of tears slid down her cheeks.
Her back looked unbearably lonely.
[Nilou]: Oh no… Lady Ei is about to become obsessive. (heartache)
[Collei]: Her sister fell, G… Lily and Kitsune Saiguu fell, Mikoshi Chiyo was cut down by her own hand—and now even Mr. Gu Chen has left her. Her heart must be in agony… (Gorou · crying)
[Kamisato Ayaka]: Lady Ei's silhouette looks so desolate… (heartache)
[Kaeya]: In this episode, the Hierophant is basically Lady Ei's "white moonlight." Now that he's gone, I can't even imagine how crazed and obsessive she'll become. (Paimon · shocked)
[Venti]: Who knows—she might go as mad as King Deshret and try to revive him using forbidden knowledge?
[Zhongli]: By common sense, judging from Lady Ei's current state of mind, such a possibility cannot be ruled out. (Zhongli · sipping tea)
[Gu Chen]: Probably not. Even King Deshret failed to revive the Goddess of Flowers. Ei wouldn't be foolish enough to repeat that mistake.
[Shikanoin Heizou]: Hard to say. Watching Mr. Gu Chen experience a final flash of life, then his vision fade, his hearing fade… with no way to stop it—this kind of despair and helplessness can drive anyone mad. (Nahida · pondering)
[Paimon]: Right now, isn't little Yae fox the only hope of the whole group? (Paimon · shocked)
[Yae Miko]: No. From the video's perspective, Ei has already gone down a dead end. Even little Shrine Maiden can't do anything now. (shrug)
[Raiden Ei]: (nods)
The little Yae fox, exhausted from crying, looked at the empty shell lying on the bed.
Her eyes were swollen red.
Seeing Raiden Ei standing there in a daze, she spoke softly, "Your Excellency…"
Raiden Ei did not react.
"Your Excellency… we can't leave Brother like this forever… we should prepare the funeral."
As she spoke, Yae's sorrow surged again.
The light in Raiden Ei's eyes dimmed further.
She lifted Gu Chen's hand and pressed it to her cheek, feeling the icy cold.
Yae said nothing more and quietly left the room.
The dead cannot be brought back.
Her brother had to be laid to rest.
Yae began preparing Gu Chen's funeral arrangements.
Inside the room—
"No…"
"I can't just let you leave me…"
Raiden Ei gripped Gu Chen's hand tightly.
On her tear-streaked face appeared a twisted, ferocious expression.
"I'll find a way… a way for you to stay with me forever…"
"Forever… forever!"
Raiden Ei had already become obsessed.
She knew something about herself was wrong—but she no longer cared.
She picked Gu Chen up and walked out of the room.
Yae froze. "Your Excellency, you…"
"There's no need to prepare the funeral," Raiden Ei said calmly.
"Huh?"
Yae was completely stunned, unable to understand what she meant.
"I will turn him into a puppet. That way… we can be together forever."
Raiden Ei lowered her gaze to Gu Chen's lifeless face, a gentle smile appearing on her own.
Yae's eyes widened, pupils contracting.
She clenched her small fists. "No! Your Excellency, how can you do this? This is an insult to my brother!"
"You don't understand."
Raiden Ei glanced at her.
"I won't allow it!"
Yae stood in the corridor with her arms spread, blocking the way.
"Move." Raiden Ei spoke.
"I won't! Brother deserves to rest in peace! Your Excellency, you've gone mad!" Yae shook her head frantically.
"Move." Raiden Ei's tone darkened.
"I won't let you desecrate my brother's body!" Yae glared at her.
"It's fine… it's fine… as long as…"
"I'll succeed. I definitely will."
"When the time comes, he'll be able to stay with me forever. You'll be able to see him too—shouldn't you be happy?"
Raiden Ei suddenly laughed, as if she were already immersed in a beautiful fantasy of the future.
Yae was terrified. "No—no, Your Excellency, please calm down!"
Raiden Ei's eyes turned icy as she stared at her.
"Are you trying to stop me from being with him?"
"Move aside!"
The killing intent in her gaze made Yae tremble uncontrollably.
She couldn't understand why Her Excellency had become like this.
Raiden Ei ignored her, knocked her aside, and left.
Sitting on the ground, Yae wiped her tears and sobbed softly.
"Brother… I'm sorry…"
Unable to stop the determined Raiden Ei, Yae was overwhelmed with guilt.
She stayed there for a long time without moving.
[Venti]: My Archons… she's actually planning to turn the Hierophant's corpse into a puppet to keep her company? What on earth is she thinking? (Venti · shocked)
[Kaeya]: I understand her grief, but this idea is far too twisted. (Paimon · shocked)
[Nilou]: Lady Ei's love for Mr. Gu Chen has already become distorted. His death dealt her far too heavy a blow… (Paimon · shocked)
[Collei]: I can't imagine it… And judging by Lady Yae's state, she might even sever ties with Lady Ei over this. If that happens, Lady Ei will truly be all alone. (heartache)
[Kamisato Ayaka]: Please don't… (Collei · no response)
[Kujou Sara]: Lady Ei…
[Hu Tao]: This is an insult to the dead. (Nahida · pointing)
[Zhongli]: I understand Lady Ei's emotions, but such actions… I cannot support them. (shakes head)
[Azhdaha]: Makoto's death, G… Lily's death, and Kitsune Saiguu's death were only the beginning. While the Hierophant was alive, Ei was sorrowful but not obsessive. Once Gu Chen died, she completely twisted. (Azhdaha · scratching head)
[Gu Chen]: …sigh.
[Paimon]: Suddenly I feel bad for the Traveler and me in the video world. (Paimon · shocked)
[Kaeya]: When you and the Traveler arrive in Inazuma, will you just get cut down on the spot? (smirk)
[Venti]: Now that would be fun!
[Lumine]: …
Thinking about it carefully… that actually seems possible.
Lumine herself began to pity her future self in that world.
[Furina]: Now I finally understand the theme and keywords of the video. Balzebul in the video doesn't want to lose anything ever again. She pursues eternity, so that eternity becomes obsession. "Loss she cannot endure" refers to Gu Chen, and "the god who never moves forward" refers to the chain of events after losing her sister in the Khaenri'ah war.
[Nilou]: When you put it that way, the root cause really was Khaenri'ah. If the war hadn't happened, calamity wouldn't have swept Teyvat, Kitsune Saiguu wouldn't have sealed it with her life, Gu Chen wouldn't have exhausted himself to help her, and Mikoshi Chiyo wouldn't have gone mad. (Paimon · shocked)
[Prince]: …
[Dainsleif]: …
[Prince]: Why not blame the Heavenly Principles? If Celestia hadn't summoned the Seven to wage war on Khaenri'ah, Makoto wouldn't have died. (picks nose)
[Sustainer of Heavenly Principles]: This blame's being dumped on me now? You'd better be clear about what Khaenri'ah did itself.
[Paimon]: Stop passing the buck—everyone should carry their own share! (Nahida · pointing)
[Nilou]: The one I feel most sorry for is still Mr. Gu Chen. Every episode makes him look so miserable… (Sangonomiya Kokomi · energy down)
[Collei]: The only happy Gu Chen is the one in this world. All the pain belongs to Gu Chen in other worlds. (Paimon · shocked)
[Venti]: I have a question. If the suffering of every Gu Chen fragment were gathered into one complete Gu Chen, would you feel pain? @[Gu Chen]
[Gu Chen]: People have to keep moving forward, don't they?
[Kaeya]: As expected of the Hierophant—so open-minded. If Lady Ei had even half of that mindset, she might not be this obsessive.
[Raiden Ei]: (Raiden Ei · withdrawn)
In the video—
Raiden Ei preserved Gu Chen's body.
There was only one body. She absolutely could not fail.
She began gathering materials and studying the art of puppet-making.
Perhaps she truly had talent in this field.
Before long, she began attempting to create puppets.
Her technique was still rough, but the theory was already clear in her mind.
After half a month, the first puppet—used merely for practice—was completed.
Looking at the puppet lying on the worktable, Raiden Ei was expressionless.
"A failure."
She reached out and grabbed the puppet by the neck.
Clear liquid streamed from the puppet's eyes.
Crack!
She snapped its neck mercilessly and tossed it aside.
[Tartaglia]: Hahaha—so the Balladeer just got mercilessly crushed like that. (Furina · amused)
[Paimon]: I'm dying—born and immediately judged a failure, then snapped and thrown away. Guess this world won't have the Balladeer anymore. (Paimon · shocked)
[Azhdaha]: Fatui?
[Paimon]: Yep.
[Azhdaha]: Then all I can say is—good riddance! (Venti · confetti)
[Kaeya]: Absolutely—well deserved! (smirk)
[Yae Miko]: I told her back then to destroy it early, but she still had a shred of emotion left and couldn't bear to~ (shrug)
[Raiden Ei]: (Raiden Ei · withdrawn)
With the experience of that failure, Raiden Ei now had a clear grasp.
But materials were becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.
She had to try again—only then could she ensure Gu Chen's body would be perfectly transformed.
"What should I do…?"
Her expression shifted.
She made a decision.
She began hunting the remaining monsters and ferocious beasts throughout Inazuma.
She experimented on them.
Her puppet-making skills grew more and more refined.
Raiden Ei had not handled state affairs for a long time.
Inazuma's operations began to stagnate; left unchecked, the nation would eventually collapse.
She noticed—and grew irritated.
She went to the Grand Narukami Shrine.
"Your Excellency."
Yae bowed, expressionless.
Sensing the distance, Raiden Ei fell silent for a moment, then said, "I leave Inazuma to you."
Yae replied flatly, "As you command, Your Excellency."
Raiden Ei left.
She found a secluded place and entered closed-door cultivation to refine her techniques.
She dared not make the slightest mistake—there was only one chance.
Several months later, she began.
Gu Chen's body had been preserved perfectly.
When the blade was about to touch him, Raiden Ei hesitated.
But the hesitation vanished in an instant, replaced by resolve.
Her will was unshakable.
Gu Chen's body was gradually transformed under her hands.
[Nilou]: No, no, no—stop!! Mr. Gu Chen is already dead, and she's still cutting into him!! (wailing)
[Collei]: Stop! Stop!! (crying)
[Kaeya]: This is insanity…
[Venti]: Her feelings for Gu Chen twisted the moment he died—twisted into this: as long as Gu Chen can stay with her forever, even as a puppet, it doesn't matter. (Tartaglia · sigh)
[Tartaglia]: I've never seen someone—no, a god—this mad. (Paimon · shocked)
[Gu Chen]: This condition is generally referred to as yandere.
[Paimon]: The video's almost over. @[Gu Chen] If Ei regains her memories and becomes a yandere, what would you do? (Hu Tao · mischievous)
[Kaeya]: Raiden Ei: Gu Chen… Gu Chen! A living Gu Chen! Mine—and mine alone! (madness)
[Venti]: If she can't accept the fact that the Hierophant has multiple wives… well, then the fun really begins. (Paimon · shocked)
[Hu Tao]: @[Gu Chen] I'm genuinely worried about you. (Baizhu · concern)
[Baizhu]: Bubu Pharmacy is always ready for emergency rescue. (concern)
[Qiqi]: I will… help. (Qiqi · observing)
[Raiden Ei]: Impossible. I would never hurt my brother-in-law! (shakes head)
[Yae Miko]: Brother-in-law, you'd better be careful. (Yae Miko · sly smile)
[Gu Chen]: (trembling)
Raiden Ei worked slowly and steadily.
It took her a full year to complete the transformation of Gu Chen's body.
From then on, there was no need to worry about decay.
She began designing the core that would drive him.
After much deliberation, she chose the Gnosis.
She used the Gnosis as the core to power Gu Chen.
[Lumine]: Wow—using a Gnosis as the power source. Will the Fatui even dare to steal this one in the future?
[Tartaglia]: Who would dare? Instant death. (Paimon · shocked)
[Kaeya]: Poor Signora. She was already destined to die in Inazuma—now, in the video's future, she'll probably die even worse. (smirk)
[Venti]: In Ei's current state, if anyone touched that Gnosis and damaged the Gu Chen puppet, she'd probably storm Snezhnaya and start slaughtering. (smirk)
[Signora]: …
Raiden Ei succeeded.
And yet—she also failed.
She successfully turned Gu Chen into a puppet.
But it had no emotions, no independent will.
"Finally… we can be together for eternity."
Her face was filled with infatuation as she cupped Gu Chen's cheeks, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tightly.
Gu Chen, stiff and mechanical, did not respond.
Raiden Ei didn't care whether he responded.
All she cared about was that he existed.
Smiling brightly, she took Gu Chen back to the Tenshukaku.
The little Yae fox had grown taller.
She had taken on all of Inazuma's affairs, her mind maturing greatly during this time.
When she saw Raiden Ei leading Gu Chen inside, she froze.
Seeing Gu Chen's dull, lifeless state, Yae suddenly burst into tears.
She wiped her eyes and stood up.
"Shogun-sama, I leave the rest to you."
Without waiting for a reply, she walked out.
As she passed Gu Chen, she paused.
"Brother…"
She sighed.
This wasn't her brother—only Raiden Ei's creation.
Yae's gaze dimmed as she walked straight out of the Tenshukaku.
Raiden Ei didn't pay her any attention.
She led Gu Chen to the throne.
Gu Chen had no self-awareness.
Raiden Ei made him handle state affairs.
She rested her chin on his shoulder, quietly savoring this moment—one she was utterly immersed in.
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