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[Genshin Impact] Chapter 397: The General's Recognition (2-in-1 Chapter)
🕑 Added 2025-01-07 17:07:36 +0000 UTCAt such a critical moment, Nolan naturally wouldn’t back down.
After all, the Raiden Shogun only wanted to test his mastery of time manipulation. She likely wouldn’t go too hard on him. Since she wanted a fight, so be it!
"Alright. If the esteemed General wants a duel, then let’s have one," Nolan said resolutely.
He slashed open a spatial rift and retrieved his Moonlight Greatsword. Simultaneously, he summoned the Sword God, which fused with him.
The intent of his sword surged across his entire body, as the golden long sword merged with the Moonlight Greatsword.
To top it off, the illusory hourglass above his head materialized, signifying that he was close to his peak, “full-power” state.
Close, but not entirely.
This was because he hadn’t yet activated his Land of Dandelions ability. Since this wasn’t a life-or-death battle, it was wise to hold onto a trump card.
"Not bad—showing some guts," Raiden Shogun remarked coldly, offering him faint praise.
Without another word, the blade of her naginata rotated as she brought it down toward him. The sharpness of her strike seemed as if it could cut through space itself.
The anti-Shogun training Yae Miko had prepared for him didn’t go to waste.
Nolan reacted swiftly. He used Chihayaburu to leap into the air, narrowly dodging her blade while gaining an increase in speed and agility.
His mastery of sword techniques—trained through countless levels and refinements—came into play. His instincts guided him to respond with the most advantageous move.
As the Shogun’s upward strike left an opening, he seized the moment. Cloaked in sword intent, his Moonlight Greatsword slashed down toward her head.
The Raiden Shogun’s amethyst-like eyes reflected the approaching blade. She stepped forward with her right foot—encased in thigh-high stockings and wood-soled high heels. Her movement was so precise and sudden, it seemed like a lagging video had just reconnected.
In an instant, she closed the distance by a single step.
Nolan’s greatsword narrowly swept past the back of her head.
Damn it!
Suspended mid-air, his pupils contracted. The Shogun had slipped through the gap in his posture created by his swing.
A quick downward glance revealed her pale, elegant face marked by the mole beneath her eye.
Their gazes met for a brief moment as her expression remained calm. She raised her left hand—covered by her dark violet sleeves—and struck his abdomen with a precise and forceful elbow.
Bang!
The air rippled violently, generating concentric waves of invisible shock.
Pain exploded in Nolan’s stomach. The immense force bent his body backward, sending him hurtling through the air like a cannonball.
In less than a second, he crashed into a stone pillar behind him, creating a crater on impact. Shards of rock scattered everywhere.
Hiss—
At that moment, the delayed pain from his injuries flooded his senses.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to breathe. His entire body felt paralyzed, and he could only barely prop himself up.
As expected of the Shogun. Even with so many enhancements, the gap between him and a top-tier Archon was far too great. Worse, his elemental immunity didn’t cover physical damage.
That’s why her single strike left him so grievously injured.
Despite undergoing targeted training, it still wasn’t enough to bridge the overwhelming disparity in strength.
But it wasn’t a problem.
Nolan focused on the illusory hourglass above him, letting a few grains of sand fall as he activated time reversal. He locked the ability on himself.
The pain in his body began to fade, gradually vanishing completely.
Had it not been for the damaged pillar and the crater behind him, it would’ve been as if nothing had ever happened.
Nolan had returned his body to its state five seconds prior.
"Time reversal?" Raiden Shogun remarked, her gaze fixed on him as he stood up unscathed. Her violet brows rose slightly, showing a hint of surprise.
"General, does this not prove the value of time manipulation for achieving ‘eternity’?" Nolan asked casually.
"This alone? It’s insufficient," the Shogun replied impassively. She raised her naginata and closed the distance in another flash.
Seeing her attack without reservation, Nolan blocked with his blade, then activated time reversal again.
This time, he didn’t target himself but locked onto the Shogun and the space surrounding her.
Only by doing so could he rewind her movements to an earlier state. If he reversed only her body, it would merely restore her physical condition without altering her actions.
As the power of time was activated, the Raiden Shogun rewound to the moment she had just approached but hadn’t yet swung her blade.
The energy within Nolan’s body was instantly depleted by half, but he gained the upper hand. With the Moonlight Greatsword in hand, he thrust toward the Shogun’s abdomen.
By the time the Shogun realized what had happened, it was too late. The golden sword aura enveloping the blade easily tore through her clothing, but when it reached her pale, unblemished skin, the blade abruptly stopped.
No matter how sharp the blade was, it could only create a soft depression on the Shogun’s stomach. It couldn’t pierce any further.
This was the body of a god. Without being on the same level, harming her was nearly impossible.
“Hmm?”
The Raiden Shogun shared this sentiment, but she suddenly felt a faint prick of pain in her abdomen. A drop of crimson blood slowly seeped out, trickling down the tip of the sword.
Nolan noticed the drop of blood and suddenly recalled that his Sword God had the property of Sharp Intent.
This trait imbued his sword aura with unparalleled sharpness, capable of cutting through anything.
Apparently, it worked on divine beings as well, albeit very slowly. It took one to two seconds of sustained contact to barely break the skin and draw a single drop of blood.
However, the Shogun’s skin quickly healed, leaving no opportunity for Nolan to strike again. With a single punch, she sent him flying.
She refrained from using her naginata out of mercy, knowing it might cut him in half and deny him the chance to rewind time.
The Raiden Shogun glanced at Nolan, who had crashed into yet another pillar. She touched her pale fingertip to her abdomen, confirming it had fully healed before letting out a cold “Hmph.”
“Very well. I acknowledge your proposal.”
It was clear that this power of time was remarkable. Its use was so subtle that even she, a top-tier divine being, hadn’t noticed until she was forced back to an earlier moment and successfully ambushed.
Thus, the Shogun acknowledged both Nolan and his time-manipulating power.
[Raiden Shogun (Raiden Ei) Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 230 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (130/300).]
Although he had crashed into another pillar, Nolan was unharmed.
Seeing the pop-up notification on his character panel and hearing the Shogun’s words, he thought to himself: Those two hits weren’t for nothing, after all.
Hmph, just wait. Once I’ve grown stronger, I’ll make sure to return the favor.
Quietly gleeful, Nolan retracted the Moonlight Greatsword, which still bore the Shogun’s blood. He wondered if the blood of a god had any special properties.
Hmm… I’ll bring it back for Sucrose and Lisa to study.
He stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and said, “Phew, thank you for your acknowledgment, General.”
Though the battle had gotten physical, with him taking two hits from the Shogun, his mission to abolish the Vision Hunt Decree had been successfully completed.
“Impressive. To think you managed to wound the Shogun. Truly unexpected,” Raiden Ei remarked as she walked over.
“It’s nothing. It might simply be that the General isn’t yet familiar with time manipulation,” Nolan replied humbly, wary that the Shogun might strike him again. After thinking for a moment, he added, “If you wish to begin researching time manipulation now, I’m afraid I won’t be able to assist. My energy was completely drained in the battle just now. I’ll need until tomorrow to recover.”
Not knowing when Raiden Ei planned to have him assist with her research, Nolan decided to clarify in advance to avoid any immediate demands.
“Is that so? Very well. Come see me tomorrow once your energy has recovered,” Raiden Ei nodded lightly.
“Understood, General. Uh… speaking of which, both of you are referred to as ‘General.’ And, if I may ask, where exactly is this place? I’m still a bit confused,” Nolan asked again.
He was determined to clarify this, as anyone seeing two “Generals” would naturally be shocked and curious. If he acted as though he already knew, explaining later could become troublesome.
Perhaps due to his increased affection, Raiden Ei didn’t ignore the question this time.
“This is the Plane of Euthymia, my inner world. As for me, you may call me Ei. She is the General now,” Raiden Ei said, glancing at the Raiden Shogun.
“Understood, Lady Ei,” Nolan replied, secretly relieved. Calling them both “General” would’ve been confusing.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave for now. After all, assisting both of you with researching time manipulation is something I need to inform my companions about,” he said.
“Fine. You may leave,” Ei agreed without hesitation. Thanks to his increased favorability, both Ei and the Shogun were much more accommodating.
In the next instant, the space around him began to shift once more.
In an instant, Nolan and the Raiden Shogun returned to Tenshukaku.
“You may leave. I will inform the Tenryou Commission about abolishing the ‘Vision Hunt Decree,’” the Raiden Shogun said coolly, folding her arms.
“All right,” Nolan nodded and turned to leave. It was time to inform Yae Miko and Lumine about the successful completion of their mission.
Walking out of Tenshukaku, he nodded to the guards outside the doors. Before long, a member of the Shogunate forces arrived, just as they had earlier, to escort him out.
Once completely out of the Tenshukaku grounds, Nolan headed to a secluded corner of the street to contact Lumine for teleportation.
---
Inazuma, Grand Narukami Shrine.
When Nolan appeared beside Lumine, he finally let out a genuine sigh of relief. Facing two top-tier deities—Ei and the Shogun—alone was no small pressure, especially on their home turf.
“Well, well, the little one is back! Those punches from the Shogun must’ve hurt. Come here, let me pat your head!”
Through the talisman, Yae Miko had witnessed the process of Nolan meeting Ei and the Shogun. Seeing that he had even fought with the Shogun to ensure the plan’s success, she couldn’t help but worry a little.
[Yae Miko Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 290 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.5 (100/500).]
“Ahem, Miss Miko, I am not a child. Please refrain from such gestures of comfort,” Nolan said, dodging her hand. If he let her pat him, wouldn’t he feel like a kid? Absolutely not!
“Oh my, the little one is shy,” Yae Miko teased, withdrawing her hand with a mischievous smile.
“Wait, you got punched by the Shogun? Did that mean things didn’t go well?” Paimon, hovering beside Lumine, asked worriedly, not fully understanding the situation.
Lumine also showed a concerned expression but, upon observing Nolan and noting that his clothes were intact and he didn’t seem injured, she felt somewhat reassured.
“It wasn’t a big deal. Just a little sparring,” Nolan replied before recounting the entire series of events.
“So, you managed to convince Raiden Ei and the Shogun to abolish the ‘Vision Hunt Decree’? Nice work!” Paimon exclaimed, flying over to pat Nolan on the shoulder in a congratulatory manner.
Nolan felt exasperated. Why does my shoulder feel like a punching bag to everyone? He retaliated by flicking Paimon on the forehead, causing her to yelp and glare at him while clutching her head.
“But if that’s the case, won’t you have to keep ‘working’ for Ei? Are you sure you’ll be okay with that?” Lumine asked worriedly.
After all, time manipulation wasn’t something even a deity could figure out easily. Wouldn’t that mean Nolan would be bound to her side indefinitely?
“It’s not a problem. If she can’t figure anything out, I’ll just get familiar enough with her to take her into the ‘Wonderland’ to study eternity directly. That way, I’ll have more time to adventure with you,” Nolan said with a smile.
Lumine and Paimon gave him a disdainful look. They knew all too well what “get familiar” meant—it was just another one of his schemes for getting close to girls!
Sure, Nolan had strength and a certain charm, and it was one thing for him to tease girls like Lumine or Fischl. But imagining him trying to charm the Raiden Shogun? Lumine couldn’t believe it and was genuinely worried he’d end up sliced in half instead.
“My, my, your courage truly knows no bounds,” Yae Miko said, chuckling. She thought for a moment before continuing, “Saving Ei and Inazuma—these were supposed to be our responsibilities.
“Yet in the end, you’re the one paying the highest price. You’ll have to meet with those two blockheads every day from now on. If I don’t give you some form of compensation, I’d feel bad.”
“Oh, compensation?” Nolan’s eyes lit up at the mention of rewards.
Ei had promised earlier that he could ask for anything he wanted, but he had chosen to request the abolishment of the Vision Hunt Decree. While this was a great help to everyone, it also meant he’d sacrificed his reward for the greater good.
Though he didn’t mind, since he had ulterior motives of pursuing Ei and the Shogun, he certainly wouldn’t refuse additional rewards if someone offered.
“Hehe, of course. You’ve done such a big favor; there’s no way we can let you suffer any losses,” Yae Miko said, folding her arms beneath her chest with a soft laugh.
“How about this—just like Ei promised you, anything within my power, you’re free to ask for~”
(End of Chapter)
