Rude interruptions

The boat ride back toward the mainland was quiet and slightly slumped in mood.

Except for two.

Rosaria had attached herself to Aether’s side, babying him the entire way — adjusting his cloak, making sure he drank water, muttering under her breath about “stupid political priestesses” while staying glued to him. Shenhe, watching this, attempted to do the same in her own clumsy, awkward way. She offered him pieces of dried fish with stiff movements and stood slightly too close, clearly trying to mimic Rosaria’s protective affection without fully understanding how.

The soft moment was shattered by a massive explosion of water right in front of the boat.

BOOM!

A cannonball impacted the sea, sending a towering spray into the air. Along the shoreline, the army of the Raiden Shogun had already taken position. Rank upon rank of soldiers. Artillery. And at the front, the tengu general herself — Kujou Sara — wings partially spread, bow in hand, expression cold and resolute.

“Ganyu, shore! Now!” Rosaria shouted.

Ganyu didn’t hesitate. She steered hard and crashed the boat onto the beach, knowing that remaining on the water made them easy targets for the artillery. The impact was violent.

Aether, who had been in the middle of being fussed over by both Rosaria and Shenhe, was knocked unconscious by the sudden jolt.

The party scrambled out onto the sand and immediately found themselves surrounded. Individually they were far stronger than any of the soldiers, but the sheer numbers, the prepared positions, and the constant artillery support forced them onto the back foot. They formed a defensive circle around Aether’s unconscious body, fighting to keep the Shogunate forces from overwhelming them.

Rosaria’s frost clashed with electro.

Ganyu’s arrows flew with deadly precision even while fully exposed.

Shenhe tore through soldiers with terrifying efficiency.

Cloud Retainer’s adeptal power held the line.

But they were still being pushed back.

As the situation grew more dire, Cloud Retainer suddenly turned her head and stared hard into a seemingly empty bush at the edge of the treeline. She held the gaze for a second… then gave a single, sharp nod.

Blue hydro strings shot out from the undergrowth like living ropes.

They wrapped securely around Aether’s unconscious body and yanked him out of the chaotic melee with incredible speed and precision. In the blink of an eye, both he and the hidden figure were gone — vanishing into the dense Inazuman wilderness.