(Narukami Shrine)

(Patrick's point of view)

We were called to Narukami Shrine. Yae Miko was waiting to see us at the fox tree.

Yae Miko: Why hello... if it isn't the triumphant Travelers. And why might you be visiting the Shrine? A sign of piety, perhaps?

Paimon: You literally told us to come meet you here!

Higokumaru: Yeah! You said that you wanted to meet us!

Yae Miko: Haha... I was just joking. I've been waiting for you.

Paimon: Seems like someone's in a pretty good mood.

Yae Miko: Mm-hmm. Catching up with an old friend I hadn't seen in years was truly delightful. By the way... I heard that you had a duel before the throne, with a Fatui Harbinger no less. Courageous and astute — I must say, I am most impressed.

Mei: It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Aether: I don't know what came over me.

Patrick: We had no choice.

Yae Miko: Defeating Signora head-on in a duel means that your strength exceeds my expectations.

Patrick: We finally feel satisfied now that Signora is dead.

Yae Miko: Still, you did end up victorious. I gather congratulations are in order.

Paimon: Ah, it sure feels good to finally thwart a Fatui plan for once.

Kiana: Yeah, we showed them who's boss! We kicked their butts once again!

Patrick: And we proved to Inazuma that they're criminals.

Paimon: They caused plenty of trouble along the way, but at the very least, they didn't get their hands on another Gnosis!

Kiana: Yeah! We killed Signora and she finally failed to steal another Archon's Gnosis. And with her gone, we won't have to worry about her stealing another Gnosis again!

Yae Miko: Wait a second... did you say "Gnosis"?

Kiana: Uhh...

Yae Miko: As in, the little thing that looks something like a chess piece?

Kiana: Oh, yes!

Paimon: Yep, that's the one! You've seen one, too? Gnoses belong to The Seven — they're what keep them connected to Celestia!

Kiana: And the Tsaritsa is stealing them but we've stopped her from stealing the Raiden Shogun's Gnosis! We took it out of her body then replaced it with a fake Gnosis and we foiled Signora's plan!

Yae Miko: Oh...

Paimon: What's wrong?

Yae Miko: I handed that over.

Aether: Hmm?

What she said made us turn pale white with shock and disbelief. All except for the ones that came to Inazuma first before us.

St. Freya Knights and Valkyries: WHAT?!

Mei: What are you taking about?!

Paimon: ...You did what now?

Yae Miko: Well... how else was I supposed to save your skin from The Balladeer, exactly?

Kiana: No. You didn't! There had to be another way!

Yae Miko: There was no other way. It was either handing it over to him or dying.

Aether: ... The Gnosis is long gone, then.

Yae Miko: The Balladeer is No. 6 of the Fatui Harbingers. In terms of strength, he is superior to Signora. I'm not the kind of person who risks life and limb for any old reason.

Paimon: *stammers* For once, Paimon just does not know what to say.

Aether: But why was the Gnosis in your hands?

Yae Miko: After Ei created her puppet vessel, she no longer had anywhere to put it. As her erstwhile closest friend... Ei handed it over to me, and I've kept it in the Grand Narukami Shrine ever since. She no longer needs the power of the Gnosis, and in any case, she tells me she has severed ties with Celestia.

Sakura: Meaning that Ei had no desire to return to Celestia any time soon and wanted to remain in her Plane of Euthymia forever.

Yae Miko: Thus, the Gnosis became not only useless, but also a potential source of conflict. Is that not a good bargain, exchanging it for the one at the core of the plan?

Kiana got really angry out of all of us.

Kiana: ... Of course it was a bad bargain! We're trying to prevent the Tsaritsa from getting what she wants! You just helped the Tsaritsa get one step closer into getting what she wants! You had one choice! To fight! Not let the Tsaritsa win! There had to be another way!

Yae Miko: There was no other way. I knew that I was no match for Scaramouche and I was no where close to his power. I stood no chance against him. I saw what happens in my vision and I had to show up at that place to save you from the Balladeer by handing over the Gnosis so he doesn't kill you.

Sakura: Miko saved us from death.

Kiana: What about protecting Teyvat from the Fatui and keeping the Tsaritsa from getting what she wants?! All that fighting we did against Signora and killing her, for nothing?!

Kallen: Right decision or wrong. What's done is done, Kiana. There is nothing we can do about it now. The only thing to be glad about is that we've destroyed their Diplomatic Immunity, proved to Inazuma that they're criminals, and foiled their planes.

Before Kiana could yell more, I covered her mouth and held her in a tight grip.

Patrick: Enough Kiana. Right or wrong, what's done is done. We're just gonna have to find the next Archon and see if we can prevent the Harbingers from stealing another Gnosis in the next nation.

Kiana grunted in agreement after a few seconds then forced herself free.

Kiana: Fine.

Kiana: (Curse you MiHoYo. Why would you let the Harbingers and the Tsaritsa win at stealing all the Archons' Gnosis? The fans who wanted to see the Traveler and Paimon stop them from stealing the Archons' Gnosis are going to get more dissatisfied and angry. You really are going to let them succeed in stealing all the Archons' Gnosis like Stan Lee and the people at Marvel letting Thanos succeed in getting all the Infinity Stones. I guess we really did go against the plot this time and faced the consequences for real this time.)

Paimon: When you put it like that, Paimon has to agree... the Traveler is worth more than a Gnosis...

Mei: We failed again. Now there's only 3 Gnosis left we have to protect from the Tsaritsa and the Harbingers.

Aether: No wonder we haven't seen The Balladeer since. Never knew we could fetch such a high price.

Paimon: Paimon: *sigh* Well, what's done is done, and Paimon hardly thinks we'll be getting it back now. Let's leave the past in the past.

Sakura: Actually...

Everyone looked at Sakura.

Mei: Actually what?

Sakura: Actually... When we found out that the Gnosis was here we told Miko that the Fatui were going to steal it. So we had a fake Gnosis created then we swapped the Gnosis with a fake one before we created the one we used before going up against the puppet.

(Flashback)

Sakura (present): We too saw Miko's vision as she connected us to her vision. Then we told her that the Tsaritsa is stealing all the Archons' Gnosis and we needed to stop her from getting what she wants but Miko told us that Ei had severed ties with Celestia and her Gnosis became useless but the Tsaritsa could still use it for something else. We argued.

Sakura: Please. We can't let the Tsaritsa win.

Yae Miko: There is no other way. I must do it.

Kallen: With all do respect. I'm not sure if what you're saying is making any sense.

Yae Miko: The Gnosis keeps an Archon connected to Celestia. But once an Archon severs their ties with Celestia, their Gnosis becomes useless and they are unable to return to Celestia. What ever the Tsaritsa's reason is for stealing all the Archons' Gnosis may be. She must be doing something to get her and her Fatui to what she wants.

Kallen: Which is why we need to stop her from getting what she wants.

Sakura: Giving up the Gnosis means that the Tsaritsa will be one step closer to getting what she wants. Because of their stupid Diplomatic Immunity, they have everyone fooled and can do whatever they want with their Diplomatic Immunity. Which is why we need to find a way to revoke it by proving that they're criminals.

Kallen: We can fight against Scaramouche.

Yae Miko: I don't think you understand what you're saying. Scaramouche is more dangerous than La Signora. You would be no match for him or his haze. It will kill you. Which is why I must give the Gnosis to the Balladeer.

Sakura: Then why did Morax give his Gnosis away?

Finally their words reached to Miko.

Yae Miko: What did you say?

Sakura: Morax, he gave it away. He gave it to La Signora.

Yae Miko: Through contract set up by the Tsaritsa?

Sakura: Yes.

Yae Miko: Why? What did the Tsaritsa offer him to balance the scales?

Sakura: We don't know. He wouldn't tell us. He said to uncover the reason on our travels and that was it. He refused to tell us.

Yae Miko: ... ... ... Follow me.

So the group follows Miko inside where she takes them and shows them the room where the Gnosis was.

Yae Miko: As I've told you before, I am also aware that the Tsaritsa is stealing all the Archons' Gnosis.

Sakura: So the Tsaritsa is doing it for a reason.

Yae Miko: I fear so too.

Kallen: We can't let the Tsaritsa get what she wants.

Sakura: Are you really going to do it?

Yae Miko: I don't have much choice, Sakura.

Sakura: Then may I suggest you try to fool him and prepare ahead and we will make a fake Gnosis.

Yae Miko: A fake Gnosis? That sounds risky.

Sakura: Risk is our business and is what we Valkyries do, Miko.

Yae Miko: Of course... Sakura. I have the same faith in you that Mondstadt and Liyue have.

Sakura: I only hope we are dissevering of that faith. We'll get started right away.

Kallen: Even if we fail, we'll steal back the Archons' Gnosis.

Tamamo: We'll fool Scaramouche once and for all. Mikon~

(Flashback end)

Sakura: And that was it.

Paimon: Where is the real Gnosis?

Sakura: We've hidden it somewhere the Tsaritsa will never find it. So it is true, the Gnosis is long gone now. But it is in safe hands.

Paimon: Um, so anyway, you still haven't told us why you called us here today.

Yae Miko: Hehehe. It's to thank you.

Paimon: Really!?

Yae Miko: You intend to travel all over Teyvat, and the time has come for the Inazuma leg of your trip to come to an end, has it not?

Sakura: We'll come back once we feel like it. But I'm going to stay here with my little friend and my servant. Besides, we are technically blood related and I'd like to work here at the Shrine and stay here with you.

Patrick: Really? Are you sure?

Sakura: I know where I am needed. Besides, when we first came here, she gave me a place to stay in.

Higokumaru: Where ever you go. I go.

Tamamo: I think I'm gonna stay too. Mikon~

Yae Miko: Very well Sakura. You can stay here with me. As a mark of my gratitude, I will answer any questions you may have about the road ahead or the events of the past.

Aether: About the Shogun puppet...

Yae Miko: That puppet was built with technology that has been lost to time. Perhaps she, as a god, is the only one privy to the knowledge of its origins... Still... there is one other thing on this topic that I suspect you may be curious to know. Before Ei began modifying her own godly form, she took it upon herself to create a prototype puppet...

Paimon: So... you mean there are three Raiden Shoguns!?

Yae Miko: No, the prototype was merely a proof of concept. Its appearance and intellect were not based on Ei. It was a test. The original plan was for Ei to simply discard it. But perhaps Ei thought this to be too cruel, because in the end she chose only to seal the power within it. Later, this puppet wandered Inazuma as an ordinary human male with his own consciousness, until... the Fatui took an interest in him.

Paimon: Ugh, not the Fatui!

Yae Miko: Some eccentric geniuses in the ranks of the Fatui made adjustments to the prototype, not only unsealing his power, but very likely rendering him even more formidable than his original specifications.

Aether: Surely you don't mean...

Yae Miko: Mm-hmm. The object of divine creation is the one who has now taken possession of the fake Gnosis... and the prototype puppet is now known as "The Balladeer."

Paimon: What in the... What a crazy story!

Yae Miko: It is, isn't it? Who can say whether it's coincidence or destiny.

Sakura: That was how Scaramouche came to be.

Aether: About the former Raiden Shogun...

Yae Miko: I'm surprised an outlander like you is aware that there was once a change of Electro Archon... Few citizens of Inazuma are aware of this.

Paimon: Morax told us. He said that the Electro Archon, Baal, has passed away...

Yae Miko: Yes. The truth of the matter is that there were two twin gods, Baal and Beelzebul.

Paimon: ...Twin gods?

Yae Miko: They won the Archon War together, and when Baal established the Shogunate, Beelzebul became her kagemusha, or "shadow warrior." In other words, she acted as Baal's body double. Beelzebul is Ei, with whom we are now both acquainted. Baal's name was "Makoto."

Mei: Ei told me about Makoto and how she was dead.

Yae Miko: As far as the world was aware, there were not two, but one. They complemented each other, and they ruled Inazuma jointly. So there was no need for the public to know the truth.

Mei: Why is that?

Yae Miko: Because they felt like there was no need for everyone to know. In fact, the name "Baal" and the title of Raiden Shogun was understood to refer to both of them — right up until—

Paimon: Until what?

Yae Miko: Makoto died several hundred years ago in a war that I was not personally involved in. Since then, Ei has assumed the Shogunate.

Paimon: Losing her sister must have been super hard on Ei...

Mei: Poor Ei.

Fu Hua: Several hundred years ago...

Aether: Khaenri'ah...

Yae Miko: That was when Ei began to change. Makoto was her greatest loss.

Paimon: Paimon feels like she understands Ei a lot better now after finding that out... So, what kind of god was Makoto?

Yae Miko: I didn't spend a great deal of time with her, but my impression was... she was a gentle god, who in each moment cherished the beauty of what was before her.

Paimon: Wow...

Aether: About my sister...

Yae Miko: Sorry, I haven't a clue. I am also unfamiliar with the god you describe.

Kiana: Another one who doesn't know about the goddess who looks exactly like me.

Yae Miko: But if you still have doubts about Ei, I would say they are misplaced. Not only does she not fit your description, but she voluntarily gave up her Gnosis long ago, severing her ties with Celestia in the process.

Aether: Having met her, I don't believe she was the one.

Yae Miko: That's good to hear. Otherwise, given that I am her familiar, it could have made our relationship rather awkward, don't you think?

Sakura and Mei: Yeah.

Paimon: Don't worry, we aren't looking to pick a fight with you!

Yae Miko: Hehehe... I wish you the best of luck. May you soon discover the truth behind it all. As for your sister's whereabouts, I will use all the resources at my disposal to investigate it, and I will also borrow some of Ayato's people from the Shuumatsuban.

Yae Miko: I'll let you know if I find out anything. Consider it part of my means of thanking you.

Aether: About the next stop on our journey...

Yae Miko: After leaving Inazuma, hmm... I think it would be easiest for you to go to Sumeru.

Paimon: Ooh, ooh, Sumeru! We've run into loads of scholars from there on our journey so far.

Yae Miko: Yes, well, Sumeru is the land of the God of Wisdom, where the quest for wisdom and knowledge is never-ending. But their obsession gives rise to some truly inexplicable things, for example... In Sumeru, knowledge is holistically managed as a resource.

Paimon: Knowledge... is a resource?

Yae Miko: Yes.

Kiana: Why?

Yae Miko: I don't know whether it was the sages or Lesser Lord Kusanali who came up with the idea.

Paimon: Lesser Lord Kusanali? That's a cute name.

Yae Miko: Oh, you haven't heard? "Lesser Lord Kusanali" is the deity in whom the people of Sumeru place their faith. It's their chosen term of endearment for her. I'm sure you must have some things to discuss with her, too. I wish you all the best.

Patrick: What do you know about Khaenri'ah?

Yae Miko: Not much. I never witnessed it's destruction. Only told about its destruction.

Aether: We have no more questions.

Yae Miko: Are you sure? Okay then. Oh, Traveler, do you still have the omamori I gave you?

Aether: Of course. I'll keep it in a safe place.

Yae Miko: Keep it safe? Is that all you intend to do with it?

Mei: Whag do you mean? Did you want us to return it to you?

Yae Miko: No not really. There was me thinking that you might hang it around your neck to show off to the world, telling everyone who inquired that it was given to you by none other than Yae Miko, the wise and beautiful.

Paimon: Who in their right mind would do that!?

Yae Miko: Hehehe... Okay, I'll stop. Now, a question for you. Traveler, what is your ambition?

Aether: To be reunited with my (brother/sister), I guess?

Yae Miko: I see... But that is merely a small goal, based on what preoccupies you here and now. What about the rest of you?

Durandal: Since our party is complete, we intend to help Aether find Lumine.

Yae Miko: Your ambitions should be something that transcends the world below and the starry sky above. Something that shines in unison with fate itself. Perhaps the reason you do not possess a Vision is that such an ambition has yet to be engendered within you... it's a possibility. Continue on your journey and maybe that moment will come to pass.

Kiana: So much.

Yae Miko: ...Did that all get a little heavy for you? I think you prefer me when I'm just teasing you, don't you? Hehe...

Patrick: Now that the ordeal is over, what should we do now?

Kiana: The same thing after saving Liyue. We return back to Mondstadt. And let's tell Venti and Zhongli the good news. That we prevented Signora from stealing the Raiden Shogun's Gnosis and that Signora is dead. And that Sakura and Kallen fooled Scaramouche with a fake Gnosis.

Sakura: As I've said before, I'm gonna stay in Inazuma and work at the Grand Narukami Shrine with Miko.

Mei: ...I think I'm gonna stay in Inazuma too. Ei will need some help with her duties from her twin, which is me. I am technically Makoto's replacement. And we're basically twin sisters now.

Kiana: Mei-senpai.

Mei: Kiana-chan. There are others that need you. I'll be fine in Inazuma. I can guarantee that I will be okey.

Kiana: Ok... What about you, Kallen?

Kallen: I think I'm gonna go to Snezhnaya. I have some investigating to do and unfinished business with Scaramouche. If he really is stronger than La Signora, we better be ready for him.

Durandal: And we will. We'll be ready for him and the other 8 harbingers we encounter.

Kallen: Who knows when we're going to meet one of the 11 Harbingers next. We've already met La Signora, Tartaglia/Childe/Ajax, and Scaramouche. There are still 8 Harbingers we haven't met yet. We better be ready for what powers they have, what two elements they wield, and what transformations they have. I'm gonna find Scaramouche and make him pay. And I hope to find Childe and tell him the good news since he also hated Signora.

Sakura: So what are the rest of you going to do?

Fu Hua: I think Book of Fuxi and I are going to stay at Liyue Harbor. People like Ningguang and Yanfei are going to need my help.

Rita: I'm going to go back to Mondstadt to train Noelle on how to be a proper maid.

Himeko: I'm gonna go work in Diluc's tavern, Angel's Share again. The boys would love to see me again.

Theresa: I'm gonna be with Klee again and work at the Cathedral again.

Bronya: Same here. And the Bronya is going to work at Lisa's library again.

Seele: I think I'm going to go to Fontaine. I still need training with Hydro so I can get more powerful and have more courage.

Water's Edge: If you're going. I'm going too since I want to train you on how to use water properly.

Seele: After that, I'm going to return to Mondstadt and work in Lisa's library again too while also working for the guild and the Knights of Favonius.

Kiana: Working with the Knights of Favonius would be good for us. I'd love to fight monsters and crooks with Amber and Eula again.

Captain: I'd really love to see Lisa again too.

Rozaliya: Better go into the dungeons back in Mondstadt. I want to find more treasure and weapons inside those dungeons.

Liliya: Don't forget about me.

Fu Hua: For now we stay in Inazuma for a few more days before we go.

Patrick: That's a good idea.

So we walked down the steps of Narukami Shrine then the camera zooms out and point up to the sky where the screen turns white.

Sakura and I appeared on the white screen.

Sakura: What a journey it's been in Inazuma. So much action and story. And we went against the plot with swapping the real Gnosis with the fake Gnosis on Scaramouche.

Sakura: In the real storyline, Miko actually gave the real Gnosis to Scaramouche. And the Traveler and Paimon failed again.

Patrick: Yeah... One moment I'm satisfied that the Traveler and Paimon prevented Signora from stealing the Gnosis and watching her die. The next moment I'm dissatisfied finding out that they failed to prevent a Gnosis from getting stolen once again. Some people are ok with the Fatui succeeding at stealing all the Gnoses while some are not ok. The players are angry at MiHoYo for not making Act 3 right.

Sakura: The players never got to fight against Scaramouche and he did not get enough screen time. MiHoYo said that Signora was gonna be the next boss not Scaramouche. It would of taken longer for Act 3 to get finished before release if they added 2 bosses and it would of taken longer for MiHoYo to build. And the fans wanted Scaramouche to be the main antagonist of Act 3 not Signora. And Kokomi and the resistance didn't get enough screen time either. The players thought that Act 3 was a mess and now the game and the fan base are going to become intoxicated.

Patrick: Everyone is angry at MiHoYo.

Sakura: And they decided to change the Dendro Archon from a God into a Goddess. Making the game less gender balanced. They better fix the gender balance in the game or else there will be more consequences.

Patrick: It's been a year and still no Dendro characters being playable.

Sakura: There has only been one Dendro character in the game but he's not playable yet.

Patrick: And everyone is angry at MiHoYo for not giving a decent Anniversary Reward.

Sakura: Now that the Inazuma story is over we have to wait another long time for the next Archon quest to come out.

Patrick: Yeah... another long time.

We turn to the audience.

Patrick and Sakura: See you next time.