The sky over the city of Rani always shrouded in lightning, as if it were a never-ending dance. When the traveler stepped onto this land guarded by thunderstorms, their gaze was irresistibly drawn to the figure atop the Sky Keep Tower. Purple hair swayed in the wind, the katana hanging at her waist. She was both the god of lightning, one of the Seven Rulers of Dust, and an embodiment of eternal ideals. Her eyes were as deep as the sea, holding a century of solitude and longing.
At night, when the streets of Rani were left to the sound of the blacksmiths’ hammering, they whispered that it was the General’s dreams being reforged. Moonlight poured over the stone table under the cherry blossom trees, and two tea cups swayed gently, as if in a silent dance. Occasionally, a careful priestess would notice that the tea aroma and falling cherry blossoms interwove in the air, creating a scene that captivated the heart.
According to legend, the katana of Thunder General contained “The One Blade Without Thought,” her ultimate move when slaying the demon god Orobas. However, when she wielded it to protect her people, the blade was not only infused with the power of lightning but also memories of her dance with her sister in the courtyard. During the ritual of God’s Cherry Blossom Cleansing, the traveler touched the softest wound of Thunder Film: the eternal guardian was, in fact, a mortal who was afraid of losing.
There are two versions of the legend of Rani City. Street storytellers tell tales of the warrior god who slew the giant snake, while light novels by the Eighteenfold Hall depict a doll general who loves sweet pastries. When the traveler entered the Sky Keep Tower with a ball of purple bean paste, they saw her clumsily wiping the sesame filling from her lips. Suddenly, it dawned on them that eternity was not a cold concept but a heart that stopped to cherish what is dear to them.
Eventually, the thunderstorms will subside. After the lifting of the seclusion decree, the Sky Keep Tower still stands high, but the lightning in her eyes is no longer fierce. In the city’s烟火，that lonely deity finally found her anchor point in the heart of humanity.