Every era has stars that rise, radiating brilliant splendor.
There are also stars that silently fall.
Without a doubt, Tiger Chiyo was the prodigy of her time.
But her fate was far too tragic.
Not only did she tarnish the name of Mikoshi, but she also left her two children unable to hold their heads high.
Fortunately, her two children proved themselves.
The legitimate son, Mikoshi Michihiro, with the help of a tengu maiden, founded the Iwakura School and eventually became the swordsmanship instructor of the Kujou Clan under the name "Douin," renowned throughout Inazuma.
The adopted son, Nagamasa, strived to enter government service and, with a hundredfold diligence and integrity, cleansed the Mikoshi name of its stain. To this day, the descendants of the Mikoshi family, such as Mikoshi Genjirou, still serve in the Shogunate.
Unfortunately... as the tengu maiden once said, non-human beings cannot hope for a peaceful human end.
Before long, a certain blond traveler would arrive with their emergency food and, by chance, wipe out an entire school, severing the last bloodline of Tiger Chiyo.
Meanwhile, the adopted son's lineage has firmly taken root in Inazuma.
Bai Luo can undoubtedly be called the prodigy of the new era, one of the brightest rising stars in Teyvat today.
Or perhaps... a calamity.
But their battle was overwhelmingly one-sided.
Tiger Chiyo overpowered Bai Luo.
Unlike his previous fight against the Raiden Shogun, Bai Luo no longer had the convenience of Quantum State.
Moreover, his class was severely restricted, leaving him unable to fight at full strength.
The only reason he lasted this long was because she was missing an arm.
If he were facing her at her peak...
He'd probably need all three classes unlocked.
The dark aura around Tiger Chiyo grew increasingly dense, condensing into something tangible, like an immortal's feather robe.
But this robe was not ethereal—instead, it exuded a sinister presence.
Every swipe of her claws produced a sonic boom-like effect. Even when Bai Luo dodged, the sheer force of the wind from her strikes left him stinging.
When her claws swept past his ear, he felt as if his hearing had nearly been blown away.
The claw marks on the cliff walls, the gashes in the earth—all were left by Tiger Chiyo.
Finally, Bai Luo was backed into a corner, with no room left to evade.
A cold glint flickered on the tips of her razor-sharp claws.
Tiger Chiyo's claws mercilessly lashed toward Bai Luo.
But she failed to notice the cunning gleam in his eyes.
Ducking low, Bai Luo barely avoided her claws and flashed behind her.
"Sword of Demonic Influence"
His one-handed sword slashed fiercely at Tiger Chiyo's back.
Whether it was the dark aura's defensive properties or her clothing being a treasure in itself, Bai Luo's horizontal slash failed to leave a mark.
Instead, it merely forced her closer to the cliff.
And then—
"Sonic Leap!"
After Sword of Demonic Influence, Bai Luo's blade shimmered with a faint glow—the damage-boosting buff from the skill.
With Sonic Leap, he crashed into Tiger Chiyo, slamming both of them against the cliff wall.
Thankfully, this bug-ridden skill behaved itself this time, avoiding the "sonic speed bypassing the target" mishap.
Tiger Chiyo was now stunned.
"Quadruple Pain!"
Three sword shadows shot out, while the fourth struck Tiger Chiyo, marking her.
Bai Luo then teleported to one of the shadows.
Seeing the mark on Tiger Chiyo, his free hand reached for the second sword on his back.
In an instant, dazzling swordlight illuminated the entire mountain forest like daylight.
"STARBURST STREAM!"
Starburst Stream
After obtaining his exclusive weapon, Elucidator, his Elemental Burst had changed.
[Elucidator]
+10% Cooldown Reduction
Unique Passive: Alters the hero's skill effects.
Changes Starburst Stream into:
- Initial / Second / Third / Final Form.
Equipping this item replaces the previous Elemental Burst.
This item is unique and cannot be obtained through any means a second time.
Initial Form: Deals five instances of 40% normal attack damage (cannot crit) to enemies in front and to the sides, and unlocks the next combo sequence. If an enemy is hit, increases damage resistance by 30% for 3 seconds.
Second and Third Forms: Same as above.
Final Form: Dashes toward the target, dealing one instance of 40% normal attack damage, plus 10% of the target's max HP as true damage.
The moment Bai Luo drew his second sword, he teleported behind Tiger Chiyo, who was still marked.
The skill's wind-up ended during the teleportation, and the instant he appeared behind her, Starburst Stream activated.
Brilliant swordlight flashed.
The cliff face, Tiger Chiyo's body—all were carved with the marks of Starburst Stream.
"ROAR!"
By the time Bai Luo finished the Initial Form, Tiger Chiyo had already snapped out of her daze and swung at him.
Crossing his swords, Bai Luo barely managed to block the attack.
But his knees buckled, nearly forcing him to the ground from the sheer force.
"Not done yet!"
With a surge of determination, Bai Luo released his swords, allowing the partially deflected claw strike to slam into him.
Even weakened, Tiger Chiyo's claws were not something just anyone could withstand.
But Starburst Stream also boosted his damage resistance, so aside from the excruciating pain, the strike didn't deal severe damage.
With his swords back in hand, he unleashed the Second Form.
Five consecutive slashes—even Tiger Chiyo couldn't withstand them, forced into retreat.
"Third Form!"
But disaster struck during the third sequence.
Amid the dazzling swordlight, Tiger Chiyo somehow tracked Bai Luo's movement and clamped her teeth onto Elucidator's blade, forcibly halting his attack.
Remember, this was the same Tiger Chiyo who had once chewed through the Raiden Shogun's naginata. Her bite was no joke.
Luckily, she bit Elucidator and not the more fragile Dark Repulser.
Otherwise, Bai Luo wasn't sure his sword would survive.
He tried pulling it free, but it wouldn't budge. So instead, he teleported to one of his remaining sword shadows.
Bai Luo and his blade vanished, leaving Tiger Chiyo biting empty air.
He could've sworn he saw sparks fly from her teeth.
Terrifying...
Landing, Bai Luo leaned forward slightly, holding Elucidator and Dark Repulser at his sides.
Final Form activated.
Like an arrow loosed from a bow, Bai Luo shot forward, a sonic boom trailing behind him as he plunged both swords into Tiger Chiyo's chest.
"SHHHK—"
The twin blades sank deep, and the frenzied Tiger Chiyo finally stilled.
Her remaining left paw weakly lifted... then dropped.
Pulling his swords free, Bai Luo rolled his aching shoulder and turned to leave.
But then he realized something.
Why hadn't the system notified him of the trial's completion?