CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: INAZUMA'S GREATEST STORM
The day had come, and it was clear as day that something major was on the horizon to all in attendance inside the Kamisato Estate. The plan on Ganyu, Ayaka, and Keqing's end had changed slightly, seeing going door to door and forcing potentially-innocent people out into the rain seemed kinda wrong. Therefore, the plan had simply changed for the three to wait for the enemy to show themselves, seeing if one went down, it would likely lead to a call for reinforcements.
While it wasn't their first time, Ganyu and Keqing still trembled at the thought of confronting the very monsters that had nearly taken their lives the night Liyue Harbor and the Tianquan went into the ocean for the rest of eternity. This was something they knew would eventually come to pass, but, now that it was here, the two survivors of that dreadful night were scared to even move from their seats.
The atmosphere of the vicinity was tense and heavy, as if their shoulders were stacked with two-ton lead blocks. They'd just finished what-could've-been their last meals, and, in hopes of mentally preparing themselves for whatever lied ahead, they'd taken a moment to just take it all in. However, that had only led to a sudden onset of primal fear, feeling as if a needle had injected ice into their veins, and had taken their breath away instantly.
But this wasn't the moment for them to surrender to their trauma, and they both knew that clearly. They'd recover, but it would take a minute of reassuring themselves that they could conquer their greatest fears.
The silence, as still as a predator's footsteps in the action of stalking prey, was finally ceased by the sound of Ganyu's voice.
"Are you scared, my love?" she practically whispered amongst the quiet of the Kamisato Estate.
Keqing usually wasn't the type to admit her true feelings, but, because it was Ganyu, she knew that she could be honest without any worry of humiliation.
After all, she too was there the night this true fear was planted into her psyche.
"Terrified," Keqing responded in a shaky whisper.
"It's okay," Ganyu answered back. "I am too."
Keqing met Ganyu's gaze, her words giving her a sense of comfort among the heaviness weighing down on her shoulders. She didn't know why, but, for some reason, she had the urge to start crying. However, she held back her tendencies, and, instead, took a deep breath and let it out slowly before saying another word.
"Ganyu, can I ask you something?"
Ganyu winced curiously at the question, but she just nodded her head in response.
"Absolutely."
Keqing paused before speaking again, allowing herself a second to think clearly on how to word her response.
"Do you really think we can do this? Be honest with me."
That was a question that Ganyu hadn't expected, and she knew exactly how Keqing wanted her to answer it.
She wanted her to give her a true answer, not a response of reassurance or comfort.
"I understand what you're saying, and my answer is yes, because I know I must do this to protect the people of Inazuma from suffering the same fate that our home did. There's simply no other option in my mind."
Keqing sighed, admiring her beloved's mindset. It was something she wished she had, but, after nearly facing death, Keqing had learned just how weak she was to this enemy, and it had played with her ever since she had awoken that next day in Wangshu Inn.
"That's great to know, but now it's my turn to be honest," Keqing answered, sighing heavily before continuing. "I've never told you this, but, ever since that night, I've been unable to accept that I'm strong enough to defeat these monsters. I've tried to ignore and pretend it was only my mind playing tricks on me, but I can't deny the truth anymore.
I couldn't beat one of these things, even if my life depended on it. I may be a swordmaster and will fight tooth and nail to protect everything I love, but, in the end, unlike you, I'm only human. Please don't think I'm abandoning you and Inazuma, because, while I'm terrified, just like you, I know what I must do. I'm mainly saying this, because I want you to know how I truly feel about this."
Ganyu's heart ached at the confession, but she couldn't deny that Keqing was correct about one thing; humans can't overpower the strength of the gods.
However, she already knew what to say, because, while her beloved was right about one thing, she was missing one key difference in their current mission.
"While I can't deny that a god's strength is much greater than a human's, I can say this. Part of me is human too, and, because I am only-half adeptus, I know that, while humans cannot beat a god alone, they can overcome anything together with the ones they love. I've witnessed this both as of late and when I fought in the Archon War.
Lady Ningguang could not have saved Liyue Harbor from both Osial and Beisht without the support of all of those who would stand and fight by her side. Nobody can beat a force like that without support on the battlefield, and this time, I'll be by your side against these monsters."
Keqing's gaze met Ganyu's again, realizing that her love was right.
She wouldn't be alone out there.
No. This time, she would have support along with the strength of the bonds she'd forged over the past weeks.
She smiled in relief, feeling all the weight on her shoulders lift.
"Y-you're right," Keqing admitted guiltily. "I'm so sorry I didn't realize that."
"It's okay, my love," Ganyu accepted. "People don't think clearly when they're scared. As you said, you're only human, and humans are very vulnerable under the influence of fear."
Keqing nodded.
"Just promise me that, no matter what happens tonight, you'll stay by my side."
"I promise to protect you no matter what," Ganyu promised. "Tonight, we mustn't falter under fear of the past, otherwise the Tsaritsa already has won."
"Then I promise to fight without fear," Keqing added.
"I'm glad to hear that."
The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Ayaka, her face spelling that it was time to begin.
"The Shogun has left Tenshukaku with Guuji Yae," she informed. "It's time for us to move into Inazuma City for the next phase of the plan."
Ganyu and Keqing both nodded in agreement, getting up to their feet and arming themselves with their weapons.
It was time to face their greatest fears.
"Then let's go and take the bastards out," Keqing stated as an exclamation that she intended to keep her promise.
No more fear.
No more trauma.
They'd have to battle with all of their strength to overcome the very thing that had started this entire mess, and, as Ganyu and Keqing followed Ayaka out of the Kamisato Estate, that was all that was on their minds.
While Ei and Miko did their part on one side of Narukami Island, Ganyu and Keqing met up with Kokomi on the outskirts of the southern end for a last-minute rendezvous. It wouldn't be until sunset that Ei would initiate the storm to draw out the cockroaches potentially hiding amongst the people of Inazuma, therefore, they decided to take that time to run over the plan one last time. Being a person of heavy stature and knowledge on battlefields, Kokomi had revised their entire part of the plan as if it were a script she'd had to memorize for a play.
To put it into a brief description, Kokomi's part was to simply survey the beaches during the storm and submit anyone that attempted to leave. Several of her soldiers were stationed on each corner of the island, disguised as a common Inazuma resident to avoid suspicion. Over the days of preparation for the mission, Kokomi had taken the initiative to try and mimic what she and the three survivors of Liyue Harbor's termination had discussed in secrecy.
She'd devised a weapon that looked similar to a smoke bomb, and had armed each of her fellow soldiers with them. They acted more like grenades, containing two substances that, when applied with friction and rapid contact with one another, created a nasty reaction that would cause an explosion. Not only that, it also created an electrical solution that causes mild electrocution to anyone who comes into contact with it; something practically close enough to suffice until Yelan's return.
While Yelan's absence of over three days had caused worry amongst Ganyu and Keqing, they knew they couldn't let that stop them from protecting Inazuma. The Fatui wouldn't wait for Yelan to return before acting, so that meant they couldn't wait either.
What mattered was the present situation, not what may be happening overseas. Ganyu and Keqing both knew that, and, upon seeing the sun fall below the horizon, they knew it was time for action.
They were currently stationed in Komore Teahouse, Ayaka having left five minutes prior to take her position in the northern end of Inazuma City. Ganyu was next, assigned to take the east end up high, her class as an archer being the reason for the elevated vantage point. Keqing would take the south five minutes after Ganyu's departure, and once the fifteen minutes passed after the fall of sunset, Ei would manifest and start the downpour.
Knowing it was time for her to go, Ganyu gave her beloved a goodbye kiss and some words of reassurance that this wouldn't be their last moment together.
"I'll see you soon."
Keqing gripped her beloved's hand in care, answering with her own words of clarity that she knew they'd meet again when the sun rose again.
"Until we meet at the first sign of a new day."
Ganyu nodded with a smile, then, with Amos's Bow in her grasp and her vision confiscated until the dust settled, took her leave with confidence in her steps.
Upon hearing the door to Komore Teahouse shut, Keqing averted her gaze to her lap, a sheathed Lion's Roar nestled across her thighs. She then followed by sliding the light blade out of its home of leather, up until the sword's steel end closest to the grip being tightly sheltered by her right hand revealed a reflection of herself. Her violet eyes stared back at her with a flurry of emotions, starting to recollect the night that the weapon before her saved her from assured death.
She remembered it all vividly; the screams of the people calling for help, right before the doors to Xinyue Kiosk blew off their hinges and all she could hear was the ringing in her ears. Out of pure instinct, she'd pulled Lion's Roar from its position on her right hip to shield herself from the debris, and, thanks to that act, she'd managed to suffer only a few burns.
However, the act that had saved her life was when the android she'd faced had launched an attack towards her right arm that would've surely taken it clean off. Again, her instincts and skills as a swordmaster paid off, having managed to throw her blade in front of the strike and decrease the amount of damage that the attack would've done, had she not managed to block it. While the android had won her over in terms of strength, the damage she'd taken was a broken leg and a laceration from her weapon that went three inches deep into her right shoulder socket and extended to the base of her right breast.
Had Ganyu not found her, due to her inability to walk or defend herself, she would've sunk and perished along with Liyue Harbor. That night, she'd been reduced to the equivalent of a defenseless animal that couldn't save or protect itself, and, this time, she refused to lose to these machines of genocide.
"Never again," she said with pride. "This time, we will beat these bastards. Then after we achieve victory here, next is the Tsaritsa's head."
She slid her sword back into the sheath and started to her feet, her recollection of the night that she'd gotten the closest to death than ever before having taken up the entire five minutes she'd had to wait out. It was a moment of remembrance she'd needed to gain the strength to face the very same enemy again that had nearly sent her to the clouds above.
It was time for redemption.
With her strength restored and sword by her side, Keqing started to the exit of Komore Teahouse and stepped out into the empty streets of Inazuma City. Upon meeting the cool air of the night, Keqing felt a sense of peace come over her body. It was as if a tranquility had suddenly washed over her, her demons and greatest fears now at rest in her mind.
She was ready to face the Tsaritsa's creations once again.
"Time to go to work," she finished, starting for the south end of the city as she saw a group of thunderclouds begin to form above her.
As planned, five minutes after Keqing had departed from Komore Teahouse, Inazuma had become drenched in rainfall. This hadn't been Ganyu or Keqing's first time fighting in the rain, so the monsoon caused them no distraction or personal issues. Same case was with Ayaka as well, having had several training sessions during downpours, resulting in her becoming more agile and cautious of her surroundings while in the heat of battle.
The first five minutes of the storm were eerily quiet and calm, but the three didn't drop their guard for even a second, paying attention to every bit of their visible surroundings. Ganyu, by far, had the best view for anything abnormal, having taken position atop one of Inazuma City's main buildings. She could see all of the city along with the "festival" off in the distance, and, being a veteran of the Archon War, knew what to spot as abnormal occurrences on a battlefield.
So far, aside from her bangs mildly obscuring her vision, everything seemed fine. However, she knew just how tricky enemies could be, and one of those tactics was easily making you drop your guard out of assumption that nothing was wrong. It was a maneuver that had taken the lives of several of her comrades in the past, so she remained as focused as a hawk stalking its prey.
In the south, the same case was Keqing's as well, resting in an alleyway cloaking her with shadow. The ambience of the storm currently soaking her was strangely ominous amongst the still quiet acting as an eerie undertone. While the droplets embracing her clothed flesh were as cold as ice, she wasn't shivering, her rushing adrenaline being the cause. She was more focused than she'd ever been in her years as a swordmaster and hero to anyone she vowed to protect under oath.
As for Ayaka, she was in a similar position as her fellow purple-haired comrade, resting under a sakura tree, and listening sharply for any commotion beneath the static of the rainfall. Being a swordmaster of the Kamisato Arts, Ayaka was a force not to be reckoned with, having hearing as sharp as the pin of a needle and skills that most others couldn't even match. She had already obtained arts of the sword prior to obtaining her vision, hence why she wasn't afraid to fight without it.
She could still cut down an enemy without her gift from the gods above, and that was something she had personally adopted for herself for situations as such. She couldn't rely on the gods' power forever, and had needed to train herself to fight with her blade without her vision's infusion. That time had come, and she knew full well that she was ready to defend her homeland.
Twenty minutes passed for the three warriors, everything having seemed normal in that time, up until something unexpected happened.
A violent flash of violet light accompanied by the crack of lightning and booming of thunder shot down from the sky, landing towards the peak of Amakane Island where Ei and Miko were stationed. That didn't sit right with Ayaka, Ganyu, or Keqing, knowing it had been a defensive attack.
They also knew it was a beacon to signal the three that it was time for action, to which they could only answer with the action of entering full focus mode.
The real battle had officially started, and all hell was about to break loose on Narukami Island.
Ganyu was the first to move, standing up and beginning to navigate from rooftop to rooftop. She moved towards the open roads that led from Amakane Island to Inazuma City, knowing Kokomi and her army had the shores covered. She readied an arrow, just in case, and upon looking out towards Amakane Island, she saw another ornery lightning bolt strike down like the crack of a whip.
She remained at a high point to maintain a better view than on the ground level, keeping her eyes pinned to the main roadway for any movement. If one android had been compromised or submitted to a dead state, it would drive all of the other cockroaches out of hiding, most likely to rush to assistance.
Out of the corner of her eye, another flash of ghostly light highlighted the night sky, only, this time, it came from the shores in the northeast. That meant that Ganyu's theory had been correct, and all of the pests were coming out of hiding. Speaking of the devil, just ahead of her, she caught sight of a person rushing for Amakane Island, sparks from interaction with rain visible.
Ganyu didn't hesitate and took aim for the head, releasing the arrow as soon as she had a clear shot. The elongated mini-spear pierced right through the cranium of the android, dropping it like a rock upon full penetration, the rain following with rest of the needed damage. Ganyu didn't celebrate though, knowing this was far from over, and, instead, followed with preparing another shot.
More flashes accompanied the night from several directions, confirming that the majority had been hiding away underground. She could only hope that Kokomi could hold out the number of enemies, seeing there was no telling how many there were. She had her own fight, so she just turned her focus back to the streets, finding more "people" struggling to run, due to short-circuiting. One by one, she fired more arrows, managing to hit their heads each time and subdue them to the wet ground.
They had all been hiding in the buildings, up until the moment that lightning had hit Amakane Island, and, out of being exposed and outsmarted, were now forced into the open. She was relieved that the Shogun had changed the plan now, seeing it was working phenomenally well, and as continued to navigate the roofs, took out anything else that had visible sparks going off as a dead giveaway that they weren't human.
More violent explosions of thunder and lightning added to the night, Inazuma beginning to look like a lightless battlefield as the war for Inazuma's safety continued to commence. Keqing had been met with her own fair share of enemies, having subdued them with her fast attacks and slashes of her sword. Unlike that night, this time she'd been without injury and could perform at her best ability, and even she'd surprised herself with how well she was handling herself against the enemy she'd previously feared.
Her group of enemies had flooded from the direction of beaches, proving there had been some hiding in the shelter of the underground caverns of the island. Same with Ganyu, they'd come out of nowhere after the first attack had gone off like a beacon of light, and she was enjoying every second of cutting these bastards down to where she'd been that night she'd nearly met death.
Currently, she was throwing slash after slash as fast as she could against a group of easily fifty or more, but without elemental energy infusion, they were falling like flies. She hadn't taken one hit, and, even against over half of a hundred machines, was managing to keep herself from falling to fatigue or being overpowered by her greatest enemy.
In fact, she hadn't felt this good in what-felt-like centuries. Being in the heat of battle again was like a drug to her, but she still knew her actual objective, and she kept it in mind with every single swing of her blade. She wouldn't stop until every one of these things were dead on the ground.
As for Ayaka, she'd been met with her own group that had come from the direction of the Grand Narukami Shrine, and using every bit of her knowledge of combat with the sword, was tearing down every foe with little-to-no effort. It felt weird to fight without her vision, but that's why she'd trained herself for moments as such, and it was paying off. Fifty turned to forty, then forty turned to twenty, up until there was little left, but, as soon as she thought she could stop, more would come in bigger numbers.
Again, she was ready for this, and this wasn't her first time dealing with a case as such. She'd fought many battles in her short life, whether it was hilichurls, treasure hoarders, or, more recently, the Raiden Shogun's own forces. Therefore, she had the strength and experience to fight several mobs of enemies without a single bead of sweat seeping from her pores. Even if it took all night or longer, she'd swing and cut down enemies with her blade, until there was no more to attack.
And she did.
They all did.
Ganyu's shot hundreds of arrows.
Keqing swung her sword thousands of times.
Ayaka struck down her enemies hundreds of times to the point of exhaustion.
Up until there was no more, and the three had unintentionally met back up on the battlefield. The flashing of lightning and Kokomi's squads's bombs exploding with an electric force finally went static in the darkness, and, for just a moment, they felt like they could stop to breathe.
However, as soon as they tried to do so, something made them rise to attention.
The sound of a distant boom that echoed amongst the chaos.
"Huh?" Keqing muttered mainly out of exhaustion and surprise.
It wasn't over, but there was no remaining androids within any perimeter of Narukami Island.
So, what was left?
Then, like a firework, a light adorned the black of the night, appearing first as nothing more than a pinprick high in the sky, then expanding into a larger size upon getting closer. Upon the three turning to the sight in the sky, they immediately rushed to get out of the way.
"Incoming fire! Get to safety you two!" Ayaka demanded, knowing the incoming attack would cause massive damage upon impact.
Ganyu and Keqing gasped in shock, following with doing exactly what they'd been told, running as fast as possible to get out of the line of fire. They managed to do so with good time, the now-confirmed fireball landing with a massive boom and destroying several of the surrounding buildings.
Smoke, fire, and rubble littered the streets instantly, making Ganyu, Keqing, and Ayaka want to make attempts to prevent the growing inferno from spreading further. However, the three didn't have time to put the fires out, knowing only more attacks were coming.
"What the hell is this?!" Keqing exclaimed in frustration. "Can't fight us on land, so they attack from the sea?!"
"That's exactly what it is," Ayaka stated. "Our enemy is much smarter than we thought. Everything we just encountered was merely a decoy to waver down our strength, so that when they brought out the actual enemy, we'd be easy targets."
Another subtle boom erupted from out beyond the shores, causing Ayaka to speak fast, knowing everything had officially changed drastically.
"Run!" Ayaka demanded, quickly leading Ganyu and Keqing out of the city, towards Konda Village.
Their only advantage was that they could dodge the attacks easily, but, other than that, they were sitting ducks against massive balls of fire. Something Ayaka made clear upon stopping just before the entrance to Konda Village.
"As much as I hate to say it, we can't fight a foe like this in our current position," Ayaka directed.
"Then what do we do now?" Ganyu questioned.
"We need to rendezvous with the Shogun, and hope that Ms. Kokomi can hold out on the shores. We can't go back to the city to attempt to lessen the damage, nor can we navigate to the shores to help; we need to rethink our plan and come up with a new strategy before Inazuma becomes nothing but smoldering debris."
As much as the two didn't want to admit it, Ayaka was right. Therefore, they accepted the momentary surrender with a bitter taste in their mouths, and nodded in agreement.
"Thank you," Ayaka stated. "Now, follow me to Amakane Island and stay sharp. We still have no idea what the situation is like on their side."
With Ayaka leading the way, the three ladies rushed as fast as their legs could run to the sealed-off Amakane Island, the status inside being calm in comparison to the other end of the spectrum. The storm within had been seized, unlike the outside, and the likely-traumatized attendees of the island were sitting in a mix of conditions. Some were standing with puzzled looks, while others were tending to children and their fellow kin.
A positioned Shogunate soldier spotted the three soaked comrades, and, after running off to fetch Ei, were granted entry within the safety of the barrier. The Shogun was surprised at their presence, having expected them to still be fighting in the city area. However, once she saw their faces, she immediately knew something was wrong.
"What is going on?" Ei asked with worry in her voice.
Ayaka took the initiative, having been the one to make the call to temporarily abandon their prior mission.
"Forgive us for leaving our positions, your grace, but there's a major problem," Ayaka started. "The first wave of enemies all three of us faced and eliminated were nothing but dupes designed to tire us dry of strength. Now, the Fatui have taken the offensive with the real threat, and, as we speak, are attacking Inazuma with large masses ablaze with fire."
"What?!" Ei exclaimed out of surprise, having not expected the Fatui to resort to such a brutal method.
Ayaka just continued to add more salt to the wound by addressing further the reasoning of her current arrival.
"We cannot do anything offensively and are sitting ducks in the city, so we have chosen to regroup with you and Guuji Yae in hopes of finding an answer to this tactic."
Ei was infuriated, but knew her emotions were not important in the current situation. She needed to think fast, seeing Inazuma was currently being reduced to nothing but shambles, so she took a deep breath to calm down.
"I understand, and do not blame anything on you, Ms. Kamisato," Ei assured. "Turns out these bastards are much smarter than we thought, and that's a major issue. How are Ms. Kokomi's forces holding out on the beaches?"
Ayaka shook her head as a way of answering.
"We had no time to check, Your Grace," Ayaka answered in a tone of defeat. "We had to evacuate immediately or risk getting trapped by the stacking clutter and fire."
Raiden nodded in assurance.
"Understood."
Ei took a moment to think, juggling her thoughts quickly for an answer. It took a second, but eventually she found a solution, a risky one.
"Alright, I see only one solution then. You said that the target was Inazuma City, correct?"
"Affirmative," Ayaka answered.
"Good. Buildings and structures can be rebuilt with time, so the damage can be atoned for. Now, I need to know two things; what directions were the projectiles being shot from, and how frequently were they being launched?"
"The east, and the fire frequency was relatively low, meaning there's probably only one ship launching the attacks…
She was catching on.
"Alright, then come with me to the east beaches," Raiden answered. "It may take a good amount of my strength, but I will show these foes what it means to challenge the might of lightning!"
Almost instantly, Miko intervened on the idea of practical self-sacrifice.
"Hold it, Ei!" Yae demanded in a voice that carried the same amount of intimidation as a drill sergeant. "If you think I'm going to let you just go and throw your life into the Tsaritsa's hands, you've got another thing coming. I understand how you feel, but draining yourself dry of energy isn't going to solve anything."
"Then what else do you want me to do, Miko?!" Ei shot back. "If we don't act fast the entire city is going to be destroyed, and, unless we use elemental power, we cannot reach the devices currently threatening our home! What else is there to do?!"
"Have you forgotten what I am, as much as what I can summon to help?" Yae countered. "All of the kitsune of Inazuma are at my call, and I highly doubt they'll stand idly by and watch their home be destroyed. Not to mention, while I'd rather these three not even see it, I can manifest into my own kitsune form at any time. These androids are no match for an ancient yokai that wouldn't hesitate to rip their heads off as payback for all of this trouble."
At the mention of Yae having an alternative form, Ganyu jumped, remembering she too was part adeptus. Like Yae, she'd rather not reveal said form, but the situation called for it. Therefore, she spoke up.
"Pardon my interruption, but, like Ms. Yae, I too have an adeptus form, and can transform at will," Ganyu explained.
"Perfect," Yae said. "You see Ei, people are willing to assist you, even if it goes beyond their comfort zones. Stop being a prideful hothead and let us help you."
Ei sighed heavily, knowing she'd been beaten, and, out of the clear severity of the situation, agreed.
"Alright. I apologize for my hasty recklessness. However, I can't leave you two to fend on your own. While your mythical beast forms are very powerful, you are still susceptible to fatal hits. Therefore, I will provide defense by using lightning to take out their devices, as much as make it easier for you to not get hurt."
"Now, there's the Ei I know," Yae responded. "That's a plan I can actually agree with."
Ei didn't appreciate the sarcasm, but didn't have time to care.
"Alright, as for Ms. Kamisato and the others…
Keqing intervened, already having a plan of action.
"We'll assist Kokomi and her forces on the shores. She'll need as much help as possible, and we can't allow the ships to reach the shore."
Ei nodded in agreement, relieved that Yae had talked sense into her.
"Alright, let's hurry to the shores and pray that Ms. Kokomi has outlasted the assault."
With no other word, the hopeful group started all the way across Narukami Island, navigating first to the western shores then rounding the south end. Once they made it to the east, they eventually came to the sight of Kokomi and her soldiers attempting to fire at the ship's far out beyond the island's shoreline. However, their efforts were proving faulty, due to not having enough caliber to reach the target just visible about one-hundred yards out.
But, they weren't the focus, so at least they didn't have to worry about casualties or worse. Upon their approach, Kokomi instantly breathed a major sigh of relief, knowing now that her comrades were safe.
"Oh thank the gods you are all safe!" she said. "I was worried you all had gotten caught in the line of fire."
"How's things here, Ms. Kokomi?" Ei asked.
"For the most part, we've held our ground well, minus some minor injuries to some of our soldiers," Kokomi answered. "However, when they started firing at the city, I'm afraid there was really nothing we could do. We've attempted to damage the ships, but we can't reach."
"Do not worry, you've done well," Raiden assured. "After some discussion, we've resolved a way to hopefully end this for good."
"Then I suggest you work fast. There's no telling how much damage has been done from these attacks."
"Of course," Ei agreed, turning her attention to Yae and Ganyu. "You two know what to do. Once you are changed, I'll prepare my part of the plan."
Ganyu and Yae nodded in agreement, Yae following by pulling out her practical wand and starting the process of summoning her fellow kitsune.
"I suggest you all prepare yourselves," she warned, her wand starting to glow and Yae closing her eyes. "All of my fellow children of Narukami, I call upon thee in dire need. Your home is in peril, and, only with your assistance, can we save it from destruction. Please answer my call to save everything we hold dear and its future to come!"
Upon the utterance of the desperate call for help, Yae opened her eyes. Her pupils radiated a bright light as hundreds of pink orbs began to manifest all around them. It was quite a sight to witness, and it only got more mesmerizing upon the orbs beginning to take form into something more animalistic. Hundreds of yokai came into full manifestation on the beach, causing everyone to understand instantly why Yae had warned them.
Foxes, raccoons, and several more creatures surrounded all of them, all of different shapes, sizes, and ages. It brought back memories for Ganyu when she was still a child, before Cloud Retainer had taken her in as her own. Back then, adepti used to flourish throughout her original home in packs as big as this one.
However, her nostalgic thoughts were not important right now. She needed to focus on doing something she hadn't in centuries; changing forms.
"What's with the racket, Miko?!" a more aged yokai exclaimed. "I thought I told you that I didn't want to be involved in pointless nonsense like this anymore one-hundred years ago!"
"It's good to see you too, Raiko," she greeted. "Why don't you look out there and see for yourself?"
The mythical beast followed her pointed finger out beyond the shores, watching as yet another fireball was launched into the sky like a rocket.
"What in the blazes do these miscreants think they're doing to our property!?" he exclaimed.
"I speak for everyone here, that, unless you want to keep your "property," you'll do all you can to stop them from getting another shot off," Yae directed.
"Damn good-for-nothing cretin! I'll teach you a lesson!" he finished, starting for the ship.
Once the easily-tempered yokai was out of range, Yae spoke up to the rest of her fellow kin.
"I'd suggest you all follow his lead, otherwise your home won't last much longer."
"Count me in!" another yokai that had the form of a fox and resembled a boxer accepted with absolute pride. "Hehe, I've been wanting to spar for awhile now, and will take pride in knocking these asses' heads from their shoulders!"
It didn't take long for the many others to agree as well, having made it to the ship by the time Yae's turn had come to take form.
Her transformation was quick and simple, having to only put her hands together, close her eyes, and, in a single flash of violet light, appeared as a large kitsune with five large tails. She was easily over ten feet tall with pink fur and piercing violet eyes. It was quite the sight, but Ganyu's was something far more intimidating.
Her transformation started the same, but, unlike a flash of light, Ganyu's was slow and more similar to a werewolf's process from human to monster. She first started to grow tall and wide, her horns extending and thick light-blue fur growing from every follicle of her body. Her nose and mouth extended into a muzzle, her hands and feet became hooves, and a long tail grew from the base of her spine. By the time she'd fully finished, she was over thirty feet tall, on all fours, and resembled something close to a lion.
To say that Keqing was slightly intimidated by her beloved's qilin form was an understatement, even though she knew she had no reason to fear the massive creature before her.
For Ganyu, she was surprised at how well she felt natural in this form, considering she hadn't been this way since the Archon War. It was relieving, even if she felt slightly embarrassed, preparing to go out and teach the Fatui a lesson they'll never forget.
"Well, I definitely didn't expect her to be that tall," Yae commented. "Think you can reach the ships from here?"
"Watch me," Ganyu answered, following with jumping outward towards the target destination, launching over a hundred feet into the air.
Before taking off to join her, Yae stated one last thing.
"You've sure got something special, Ms. Keqing."
Then, before Keqing could even respond, she started a steady pace of skipping elegantly across the water.
While Keqing and the others stayed on the shore to provide help for Kokomi, Ganyu and Yae, along with the other yokai, raided the ship that had fired the projectiles. Ganyu had started her retaliation by landing and destroying the catapult with a single swipe of her massive tail. She'd managed to take out the Fatui manning the weapon as well, blood staining the fur dressing left hoof.
The yokai were all over the staff of the ship, not holding back on the hostile monsters that had nothing but malicious intentions. Yae had joined them shortly, attacking and taking out any other Fatuus foolish enough to take her on, while Ganyu continued to damage the ship with her godly strength. She rocked the ship and punched holes through its flooring, showing these bastards the price of everything they'd caused her, Keqing, and Yelan.
Along with that was the several lightning bolts attacking the ship, controlled by Ei. They struck the exterior like a spiked whip, causing serious damage and killing whoever got hit by the electric jabs.
The occupants of the vessel didn't stand a chance against the might and rage of a near forty-foot tall adeptus beast, angry yokai, and the might of the Goddess of Lightning. However, the chaos was so frantic that Ganyu hadn't noticed that she was being targeted from afar, and hadn't realized it until a sound had graced her ears with enhanced hearing.
…Ganyu! Watch out!...
Before she could've even realized what she'd heard and who had said it, it was too late. A sudden impact of force to her left side that led to an agonizing amount of pain within her body had caused her to stagger so badly, that the ship had become unbalanced. The vessel had begun to tip onto its right side, causing Ganyu and the others to fall into the water along with it. Luckily, the hundreds of mythical creatures were all able to just reposition themselves atop the water, but Ganyu struggled to swim due to her injuries.
The projectile that had struck her side had managed to fracture at least three of her ribs, making any movement agonizing for her. Despite the pain, Ganyu had managed to get a grip on the ship's body, but she was far from safe, the source of the unexpected attack coming into view. Less than fifty yards away was another ship armed with the same catapult, and they were readying another shot to either knock Ganyu out or kill her.
She was a sitting duck.
Yae rushed to her aid, hoping that the damage wasn't too severe.
"Ms. Ganyu, are you okay?"
It took a second for Ganyu to answer, searing agony engulfing her entire body in her current situation.
"N-no…my ribs…they're broken…"
Yae had enough information to make the verdict; Ganyu couldn't fight anymore.
"Down for the count," Yae clarified with urgency. "Just hang onto the ship for a little longer. My friends and I will take care of the other catapult."
Ganyu didn't answer, but understood. Therefore, Yae fulfilled her promise and turned from her fellow comrade. However, before heading to the other ship, she did something additionally to assist her fallen soldier.
On the shore, a much distraught Keqing was suddenly surprised by a voice entering her thoughts like a distant whisper. The voice of Yae Miko speaking a clear message to follow.
Do whatever you can to get to her. She's hurt and is in really bad shape. My kin and I can handle the second ship.
Keqing knew she didn't have much time, so, out of absolute will of her love for Ganyu and adrenaline, she ran for the shore and began to swim as fast as she could. If there were any objections prior to her leave from the shore, she didn't hear them, too focused on saving Ganyu's life. She was at the wreckage in less than twenty seconds, quickly working atop the ship's side and running to Ganyu's aid.
"Ganyu!" she called in desperation, meeting her love's side in seconds.
Ganyu barely heard her, too out of it to focus, but, upon feeling a touch to her left hoof, Ganyu peeked open her beastly eyes to Keqing. She was crying and working hard to pull the likely-ten-ton beast up to her, which she knew was impossible. Using the little strength Ganyu had in her current state, she allowed herself to revert back to her human form, allowing her beloved to pull her up to safety. Once back to her usual form, Keqing pulled her beloved up out of the water as gently as possible and wrapped her tightly in her arms.
She kissed Ganyu's head and cried her eyes out in relief that her beloved was safe in her arms again.
"It's okay now…I'm here…I'll always be here…"
She was so distraught that she hadn't noticed the other ship become an emblazoned wreckage, nor had heard the several clashes of lightning ending the lives of the vessel's occupants.
Once the other ship and the monsters aboard had gone silent, for the first time that entire night, it was quiet. The battle to save Inazuma had officially ended, and all that remained was the pitter-patter of rain and the remains of that entire night of complete and utter chaos.
They had won.
They had stopped Inazuma from becoming another Liyue Harbor tragedy.
A victory that was rewarded by the rising of the sunshine to a whole new day in the Land of Eternity.