Inner Voice: All Heroines Hear My Inner Voice Chapter 1069: Victory Party

At an unknown time.

"Ugh..."

Scaramouche slowly opened his eyes with a hoarse groan. His consciousness returned in fits and starts, accompanied by a throbbing pain throughout his joints from the brutal beating he'd suffered earlier at the Delusion factory. As his vision gradually cleared, he realized he was no longer inside the concrete hall carved into the cliff of Yashiori Island.

He was now in a magnificent room with futuristic architecture mixed with gold-lacquered wooden panels. This place was far too luxurious for an underground prison, yet the atmosphere around him felt utterly unfamiliar.

He was actually in one of the Astral Express detention cells.

Scaramouche didn't know this; he tried to move his arm, but his body was tightly restrained. When he looked down, he found his entire body tightly bound by a thin silver cord that radiated astral energy. He tried to channel Anemo energy from deep within his core to shatter the cord, but to no avail. The cord sealed off all his elemental energy, leaving him completely helpless, just like an ordinary mortal.

All he could do was roll around on the cold floor, like a caterpillar.

"Damn it… Where am I?! What kind of cursed place is this?!" Scaramouche growled in a high-pitched voice filled with rage, his eyes darting wildly around the unfamiliar room.

*Click*

The train compartment's automatic door hissed softly and opened. Graceful, rhythmic footsteps could be heard entering the room. Scaramouche looked up, and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the figure stepping in at the very front.

He recognized her.

It was La Signora, one of the Harbingers like himself.

The woman walked in a sexy red dress, looking perfectly healthy without a single scar in sight. She even looked more beautiful than the last time he'd seen her. But what made Scaramouche's heart race in shock were the figures walking obediently behind Signora—Merraid, Cassandra, and Gilberda—the three women who had defeated him in Inazuma.

Why were they following Signora and standing behind her without any hostility whatsoever!?

"Signora…?! And you lot… you damn rats!" Scaramouche snapped in a harsh, hostile tone. "Why are you here with the women who attacked me, huh?! What the hell is actually going on in this godforsaken place?!"

Hearing Scaramouche's harsh shout, Signora showed no sign of anger. Instead, an amused smile appeared on her face. She calmly walked over to a luxurious sofa quite a distance from where Scaramouche stood, then sat down and looked at him with a condescending gaze—exactly the way she would look at something that was already helpless.

Scaramouche felt humiliated.

"Why do you think I'm here, The Balladeer?" Signora replied, her voice sounding elegant yet brimming with satisfaction.

She addressed Scaramouche by his nickname within the Fatui organization to mock him in that situation.

Scaramouche clenched his teeth tightly. His sharp mind immediately analyzed the situation. Signora's unusual attire, the lack of tension between her and the three women who had captured him, and the fact that she was speaking to him like that with no intention of untying the ropes binding him sparked a deep suspicion in his mind.

Scaramouche didn't know that Signora had now fully sided with Eiji; she had surrendered both her body and her heart to the leader of the Golden Dawn organization. However, his instincts immediately sensed the scent of betrayal.

"Signora... don't tell me that you..." Scaramouche stared at her with a look of utter disbelief. "You've betrayed us?! You've defected from the Tsaritsa and chosen to work with these women?!"

Signora didn't deny the accusation at all. Instead, she leaned back casually on the sofa, smoothing a strand of hair with a smile that grew even wider.

"Betrayed? That's too harsh a word for someone who has just found the path to a far greater destiny," Signora said calmly, acknowledging her choice without a hint of hesitation. "Yes, I am no longer part of the Fatui, Scaramouche. And soon… you, too, will understand why our leader—and my man—ordered us to capture you."

Hearing this casual confession from her fellow Harbinger, Scaramouche was completely stunned, realizing that she had now been stabbed in the back.

Feelings of humiliation and rage surged through his mind. But the next second, he realized there was a word Signora shouldn't have said.

Or rather, how did she know about that!?

Not only that, had he misheard?

Did Signora and the leader of the Golden Dawn have that kind of relationship!?

"Signora, you bitch! But how did you know about..." Scaramouche hesitated to finish his sentence.

Signora wasn't angry at being called a slut; in fact, she was slightly aroused when she realized she was Eiji's slut. She interrupted, saying, "You want to ask how I knew about your defection plan?"

"...." Scaramouche fell silent, simply glaring at the woman sitting across from him. Behind him, Merraid and the other two women stood with amused expressions.

These women...

He wanted to kill them all! But what could he do?

Right now, he was helpless.

What kind of rope could seal his elemental power!?

Lala: It's called the Giri-Giri Bind-Kun.

It's one of the items she created; Eiji keeps quite a few of them in his inventory and lets Merraid and her women have them to capture people like this.

"Thank you, my man, Eiji. I know your true purpose in Inazuma, and how I'm going to die because of you." Signora said coldly, the smile on her beautiful face fading.

Scaramouche felt the temperature in the room growing hotter; he could even see the intent to kill in Signora's eyes.

Is this woman getting stronger?

Wait, that's not what matters! What matters is...

How did that man named Eiji find out about his little plan to trap Signora!?

"I... I don't understand what you mean. When exactly did I trap you? You're sitting right in front of me now and look perfectly healthy." Scaramouche protested and even sneered.

"I'm talking about the future."

"The future!? Are you trying to tell me that a man named Eiji can see the future? Nonsense! Signora, you've been deceived! Let me go right now! If you let me go... I'll pretend that nothing that happened between us here ever happened, and I won't tell the Tsaritsa about your defection."

Hearing what Scaramouche said, Signora showed no change in her expression.

"I'm not interested in your tricks."

"I'm not tricking you!"

"Instead, let me finish what I was saying."

"You…!"

Scaramouche was at his wits' end. Unlike in the original story, he failed to fool Signora.

"You were sent to Inazuma by the Tsaritsa to seize the Electro Gnosis," Signora twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers, glancing at Scaramouche—who looked like a caterpillar—with a condescending gaze. "But we both know you never intended to hand over the core of the god of lightning to the Tsaritsa. From the very beginning, your true plan was to take the Gnosis for yourself, defect from the Fatui, and use its power to escape—all to satisfy your mad ambition to become a true god."

"!!!"

Scaramouche jolted violently; his jaw clenched tightly and his pupils contracted completely from the shock. The most secret plan—one he hadn't even discussed with anyone—was now casually revealed by Signora.

"H-How did you find out…?!" Scaramouche growled, his voice trembling as he struggled to contain his anger and fear. "Did that man named Eiji tell you all that?!"

He truly didn't understand how Eiji knew about it.

Could he really see the future?

Not even the Archons, including the Tsaritsa, could do that. How did he do it?

Signora let out a soft chuckle that sounded quite amused. "Scaramouche… Compared to the other gods in this world, my man, Eiji, knows everything. He knows your past, your present, and even your tragic future if you stay on the path of destiny set by Teyvat."

Signora rose from her sofa, striding forward in her sexy red dress that swayed gracefully until she stopped exactly two steps in front of Scaramouche. A faint chill swirled on her left side, and heat filled her right.

The Cryo (ice) and Pyro (fire) elements emanated from her body. Thanks to the buff from the Master-Servant contract, she had certainly become stronger and was able to use both elements at will. There weren't even any side effects if she used them for a long time.

Scaramouche stared blankly at the scene before him. Signora's current power surprised him—and made him envious.

"Just so you know… in this world's original timeline, you were supposed to have successfully obtained that Electro Gnosis from a certain pink fox—Yae Miko," Signora hissed in a soft yet piercing tone. "And after you got it, you ran away, leaving me to walk blindly into a deadly trap at Tenshukaku. I was supposed to die, executed by Raiden Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi sword because of your secret betrayal."

Hearing that seemingly impossible yet incredibly detailed account, Scaramouche was utterly stunned and frozen in place. His mind went blank. His logic as an automaton refused to believe that prophecy, yet his instincts screamed that the woman before him wasn't bluffing.

Signora straightened her posture again, glancing at Merraid, Cassandra, and Gilberda—who had once had a fivesome with her—with a friendly smile. "But thanks to Eiji, that fateful line has been shattered. I will never die in Inazuma. On the contrary, I let you continue your mission to the Delusion factory earlier just so my sisters could easily capture you once the path was clear."

"!?" Scaramouche shuddered.

The woman in front of him was truly cunning—and utterly unscrupulous!

She set him up and wanted to take advantage of his plan for the sake of her group.

She stabbed him in the back just as he had done to her!

Signora was satisfied to see Scaramouche's ugly expression; he seemed to sense the discomfort she felt in the original work.

"You've won… Signora, what are you going to do to me? Kill me?" Scaramouche asked angrily, with no fear on his face.

After all, he was one of the automatons created by the god of thunder, Raiden Ei. However, since his past personality didn't align with her wishes, she discarded it. She didn't even forget to seal away the Electro element he possessed.

The series of tragic events he experienced in Inazuma didn't help either; they left Scaramouche heartbroken. He hated his creator and humanity because they had betrayed him. Because of this, he joined the Fatui organization, which allowed him to possess an Anemo-elemental Delusion, and he seeks to obtain Electro Gnosis to become a True God—a state he believes will make him stronger than his creator.

He wants to slap Raiden Ei.

But here he is now—he's failed!

Scaramouche feels extremely uneasy.

"Kill you? At first, I wanted to. Unfortunately... Eiji has another idea for you, and I actually really like his idea."

Signora smiled sadistically; she had just received a call from Eiji and was communicating telepathically with him. The man was busy celebrating his victory after defeating and subduing Stromterror; he couldn't return to the Astral Express to deal with Scaramouche in person.

So, he sent an item called the 'Soul Controlling Seed' through the E-Dial inventory. In the past, Eiji had used it to turn the protagonist, Sakuta, into his puppet.

And now, he wanted to do the same to Scaramouche so that he could make him do something for him.

"W-What are you planning!?" Scaramouche felt a chill. Even though he was an automaton, he could sense a foreboding worse than death itself.

At the same time, Ye Chen, who was busy cultivating, nearly lost his focus—he, too, sensed a bad premonition. The temperature of the rock he was sitting on had also, for some reason, dropped drastically, making his butt go cold.

...

'Jie jie jie.'

[Stop laughing like that, host.]

'Even in my mind?'

[Yes.]

'If my wife says that, what else can a husband do?'

[I'm not your wife!]

'In that case... Jie jie jie.'

[...]

Miss System said nothing more. She had no intention of giving up her tsundere act, and snorted.

At Good Hunter, the most popular restaurant in Mondstadt.

The atmosphere inside the main hall of Good Hunter Restaurant that night was incredibly festive. By special order of Acting Grand Master Jean, the entire place had been reserved privately to celebrate their success in driving out the Abyss Order and Eiji's victory in defeating—and even taming—Dvalin.

Warm scented candles burned at every corner of the tables, casting a golden glow that illuminated the array of luxurious Mondstadt specialties, ranging from succulent Sticky Honey Roast to fresh vegetable soup.

Eiji sat casually in the head seat, holding his drinking cup nonchalantly. Surrounding him, the most beautiful women in Mondstadt and an Adeptus from Liyue gathered, their faces beaming with joy.

"Woohoo! Paimon is truly in food heaven!" Paimon shouted cheerfully as she darted from one plate of meat to another. Her little face was already smeared with sweet sauce. "Eiji, you really are the greatest Hero of All Time! After driving away those villains and taming Dvalin, you even let Paimon order as many extra dishes as she wants! Paimon promises to always support you!"

"Really?" Eiji asked.

"Yes!" Paimon nodded with a piece of chicken thigh in her mouth.

"I'll remember your words, Paimon."

Or should I call you Asmoday?

Eiji suddenly recalled Paimon's mysterious identity in the original work. Actually, it hasn't been confirmed that Asmoday and Paimon are the same person in the original work.

However, many players—including himself—are convinced that there's a connection between them.

Unlike Paimon, Asmoday is a goddess with a very voluptuous figure and large breasts. She is one of the Four Shades who serve the Heavenly Principles as rulers of space and reality.

She is also the same goddess who appeared at the beginning of the game when she separated the Travelers (Aether and Lumine) and sealed their powers.

No wonder Lumine never suspected that the little fairy who often accompanied her was Asmoday. She might be pretending, or perhaps she lost her memory due to a certain incident.

With Rasiel, Eiji actually knows the truth. At least in this world (the setting of the original work), he knows who Paimon really is.

[Even if I want to have some fun with Lumine tonight… Paimon, you don't mind sleeping alone in another room, do you?]

"!?" Lumine nearly choked.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she shot Eiji a reproachful look. Luckily, he only said that to himself.

Otherwise... She wouldn't have dared to look at Jean and the others sitting with them.

What she didn't know was that Jean, Xianyun, Lisa, and even Barbara could also hear Eiji's inner thoughts. However, they pretended not to know that Eiji was plotting something lewd against Lumine.

As for Lumine herself? She didn't have much resistance in her heart. But she'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous.

"This celebration will never be enough to repay you for what you've done for Mondstadt, Eiji. Everyone, let's raise a toast to our Hero of Mondstadt." Jean led the toast.

'Yare-yare,' thought Eiji.

"Cheers!" Amber chimed in enthusiastically beside Jean. Her beautiful face flushed a bright red—partly due to the fruit drink and partly because she couldn't stop stealing glances at Eiji's handsome features. "I swear, this is the best night of my life as an Outrider!"

Barbara, sitting somewhat awkwardly near her older sister, nodded slowly, her slender fingers clutching the hem of her deacon's gown, which was a shade of red just as deep. Her curiosity and admiration for Eiji after what he had done earlier had turned into the seeds of pure adoration. "Eiji… our cathedral choir will always sing hymns of praise for your majesty starting tomorrow."

Wasn't that a bit over the top?

Eiji thought so, but said nothing and joined Jean in a toast along with the others.

He was pleased to see the positive energy of Barbara and the other women at the table continue to rise.

Lisa, who was sitting very close to Eiji's left side, just giggled playfully, propping her chin up while playing with a strand of her hair with her slender fingers. "Ah, my dear… look how easily you've charmed so many women in this city with your heroism and good looks. You really are a very dangerous predator, Eiji."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Lisa." Eiji said with a faint smile. Under the table, he didn't just rest his hand on Jean's muscular thigh. He also placed his other hand on Lisa's plump thigh and squeezed both of them at the same time.

Jean bit her lip, but she didn't try to stop her boyfriend's lewd actions.

Lisa did the same, and enjoyed it. "Hmm~"

She couldn't even help but moan, making the men at the other table blush.

In the corner of the table, Kaeya was also leaning back casually in his chair while sipping his drink. He watched Eiji as he made the rounds among Jean, Lisa, and the other beautiful women with a touch of envy. "Well, I have to admit defeat when it comes to attracting beautiful women in this city, Eiji. You're on a completely different level. I, Kaeya, admire you from the very bottom of my heart."

"Are you feeling a little green, Kaeya?" Eiji asked with an amused look.

"Sorry, green? What kind of feeling is that?" Kaeya was confused.

Eiji shook his head, not intending to tell him. At that moment, he could clearly see a green hat on Kaeya's head.

Kaeya realized that the woman he liked, Jean, now belonged to another man. He gave up and suppressed the bitterness in his heart. Just like Diluc, he didn't realize he was feeling green.

Especially when he saw Eiji and Jean being affectionate right in front of him. Even so, what made Kaeya's lips twitch was... Jean didn't seem to mind seeing her boyfriend flirting with Lisa.

Eiji was even being way too flirty! He was flirting with Lumine, Barbara, and all the beautiful women sitting with them.

He's such a bastard!