Lumine said, "It's time to settle this."
Upon hearing this, Signora laughed presumptiously. "Ha, settle this? Hahaha! I've grown somewhat tired of looking at your face as well. But I didn't expect you to be so reckless and foolish."
"Before you boast, have you realized that you're still Inazuma's most wanted criminal? Think about your situation—breaking into Tenshukaku and speaking wildly before the Shogun. If that isn't walking right into a trap, what is?"
[Paimon: I just realized how dangerous this really is. The Shogun isn't going to cut us down, is she?]
[Lumine: It's quite possible. She did it last time, after all.]
[Paimon: Then why hasn't the Shogun made a move yet?]
[Yae Miko: Perhaps this is a diplomatic occasion now.]
Signora continued, "I hope you recognize the gap between us—both in status and in strength."
Lumine declared firmly, "I challenge you to a duel before the Shogun."
The Shogun nodded in acknowledgment.
For the first time, panic appeared on Signora's face. "So you're using that trick? You've learned to exploit this nation's rules as well?"
"Forcing your way to a position equal to mine—I admit this is somewhat unexpected. But the loser dies, you know. Have you thought this through?"
[Yae Miko: Let me explain this duel before the Shogun. A duel before the Shogun means exactly that—a duel held in the presence of the divine. The loser is killed by the Musou no Hitotachi.]
[Ningguang: In other words, a gamble with no loser's consolation prize.]
[Yae Miko: Correct. The victor gains glory; the vanquished meets their end.]
[Kaedehara Kazuha: My friend... lost such a duel before the Shogun.]
[Paimon: So Lumine might die today?]
[Nahida: No. Only those whose stature rivals the world itself can be called Descenders. As a Descender, though Lumine has lost her power, her potential is boundless. As long as her will remains unbroken, she will not truly fail.]
[Paimon: So we'll witness Signora's death today? Now that's good news!]
[Signora: My strength far exceeds Tartaglia's. It's not certain who will win.]
[Tartaglia: Ah, as much as I dislike supporting Signora, I have to side with her this time. She is my colleague, after all.]
Paimon looked worriedly at Lumine.
But Lumine was resolute.
"Hahaha!" Signora laughed wildly. "Very well, very well. Then allow me to condescend to dance with you until one of us reaches the end of our life."
"Thus I interprete the authority and elegance of an Executor. As you wish."
Lumine engaged Signora in fierce battle.
Powerful elemental forces surged, turning the entire Tenshukaku into a world of ice and fire.
Signora's strength was considerable—she wielded not only Cryo but Pyro as well. When she unleashed her Pyro power fully, raging flames spread everywhere, repelling Lumine again and again.
[Paimon: She wields two elements simultaneously?!]
[Signora: My flames can ignite the very sky. Do you still think you can defeat me?]
[Keqing: Truly fearsome power. As expected of a Fatui Harbinger.]
[Paimon: Does Keqing think she could defeat her?]
[Keqing: Mm... No.]
Signora's might surpassed even Tartaglia when he unleashed his Foul Legacy transformation.
But Lumine had also grown. Having mastered Electro in Inazuma, her power had further recovered. After a prolonged battle, Lumine decisively defeated Signora.
Signora, heavily wounded, collapsed to the ground, staring at Lumine in disbelief. "How... how can your power..."
The Raiden Shogun, holding Musou Isshin, descended from the platform and walked steadily toward Signora.
Signora, now somewhat hysterical, threatened the Shogun. "I am the envoy of Snezhnaya! Do you understand the consequences of harming me? I swear, if you dare strike, I'll make your nation—the Fatui will make your precious Inazuma..."
[Yae Miko: Ridiculous. How could Ei possibly care about the Fatui?]
[Paimon: So this is Signora's confidence?]
[Tartaglia: If Signora really dies in Inazama... we'll just have to hold a memorial service for her.]
[Paimon: Will there be anything besides a memorial? Like revenge?]
[Jester: The Fatui believe our strength rivals the Seven. But we have greater goals. We cannot go to war with Inazuma.]
[Paimon: So Signora becomes just another small sacrifice on the road...]
[Signora: I am not a small sacrifice! I am not! I have power! I have status! I am Snezhnaya's envoy!]
[Ningguang: Well, the living are certainly different. But the dead are all the same, aren't they?]
[Signora: No! No! I refuse to die like some insignificant nobody!]
The Raiden Shogun's steps did not slow.
The Electro light around her blazed ever brighter.
Signora screamed madly at the Shogun. "Stop! I command you to stop!"
"You... you... and you all?"
"How could I...?"
Desperate, Signora lunged at the Shogun with all her remaining strength. The Shogun's blade descended—a single strike wreathed in blazing Electro light—and cut Signora down.
[Paimon: Signora... is really dead...]
[Furina: So this is Inazuma's deity? Decisive and absolute. So imposing.]
[Lumine: An Executor's death... a reckoning for the people of Inazuma who perished.]
[Venti: Ah... I never imagined Signora would meet such an end.]
The Shogun then turned to Lumine. "You are an enemy of eternity. Yet I acknowledge your glory as the victor. Therefore, I permit you to leave Tenshukaku standing."
As Lumine left the chamber, thunder crashed and lightning flashed in the sky above. Dark clouds gathered, and the atmosphere was stifling.
Paimon was frightened. "The Raiden Shogun probably won't just let us go easily, will she?"
"The air feels so heavy suddenly. Is this the Shogun's pressure?"
"Signora died by the Shogun's blade. She deserved it, but still... it's shocking."
"What exactly are those Harbingers after with the Gnoses?"
[Furina: Paimon really is scared. The sky is so oppressive. If I were there, I'd probably be too terrified to move.]
[Yae Miko: Such a vast area covered by Electro... What is the Shogun thinking?]
Paimon continued, "Hey, Traveler, do you have a headache?"
"Calm down. Let's get out of here quickly. I have a bad feeling about this."
Paimon kept chattering nervously along the way, as if talking might dispel her fear.
"Speaking of which, that Musou no Hitotachi that killed Signora was unbelievably powerful."
"If that technique is truly invincible, then defeating the Raiden Shogun is impossible."
Then Paimon remembered Yae Miko's plan.
"Yae Miko told us to enter the Plane of Euthymia again before the Statue of the Omnipresent God."
"But we can barely save ourselves right now. Let's put that plan on hold."
"There's constant static electricity in the air... I can barely breathe."
"Lumine, are you okay? Why aren't you saying anything?"
"It sounds noisy outside. Is there a conflict?"
"The guards seem tense. Let's see what's happening."
As they stepped out of Tenshukaku, Lumine saw the resistance forces—they had fought all the way to the Shogunate.
[Ningguang: With the Shogunate leaderless, this is indeed a good time to counterattack. But how did they know?]
[Yae Miko: No need to guess. I must have told Kokomi. Kokomi and I have been in contact.]
[Paimon: A double agent?]
[Yae Miko: Double agent? Our goals have always been aligned, haven't they?]
Behind Lumine, a portal of purple lightning tore open. The Raiden Shogun emerged from the lightning and swung her blade at Lumine.
[Paimon: Ah! We just left Tenshukaku!]
[Yae Miko: This is the puppet Shogun. She has no social graces or subtlety. When she said Lumine could leave Tenshukaku, she meant only Tenshukaku.]
[Paimon: Such rigid programming!]
Lumine couldn't react in time.
That instant stretched, both brief and eternal.
Kazuha stared wide-eyed at the scene. The Vision on his person suddenly ignited.
"Every living being born to this earth shall one day face the brilliance of the divine lightning."
Kazuha transformed into a bolt of lightning, appearing before Lumine in an instant, blocking the Shogun's strike.
On Kazuha, two Visions blazed simultaneously. This single blow actually forced the Shogun back a step.
The Shogun then thrust her blade, sending Kazuha flying.
His friend's Vision dimmed once more.
[Paimon: Kazuha... blocked the Musou no Hitotachi?!]
[Furina: Amazing! I saw two Visions light up!]
[Ningguang: Before, Kazuha couldn't save his friend. This time, he didn't fail—he saved Lumine.]
[Kazuha: Yes. I will never let a friend leave my sight again. I spent a long time searching for the moment to light this Vision. I never realized the moment was always within me.]
Gorou checked on Kazuha, found him unharmed, then led the resistance forces charging forward.
The Statue of the Omnipresent God stood nearby. As they charged, Visions upon Visions on the statue lit up, bathing the entire structure in radiance.
Paimon worried, "What now? The resistance can't possibly defeat the Shogun!"
Lumine gritted her teeth, channeled immense Electro power, and struck at the Shogun.
The Shogun lowered her head. Space shifted again. Lumine once more found herself in the Plane of Euthymia.
[Paimon: Amazing! Just like Yae Miko said!]
[Ningguang: Miko truly leaves nothing to chance. She calculated everything perfectly.]
[Yae Miko: Well, perhaps I've read too many detective novels. I do enjoy reading—many Inazuman authors write excellent detective stories.]
Ei, seated cross-legged in the void, awoke and looked at Lumine. "We meet again. Let me think... what brings you before me once more?"
"Is this foolhardiness of yours to protect those people, or was your true intention to seek an audience with me?"
Lumine said, "The Vision Hunt Decree should never have been issued. The Fatui have misled the Raiden Shogun."
Ei: "Oh? You roused me from my eternal meditation just to say this? Do you underestimate me so? Of course I know about the Vision Hunt Decree."
Lumine: "You know what's happening outside?"
Ei shook her head. "Not everything. I only know matters pertaining to eternity."
[Yae Miko: She neither underestimates nor overestimates. Clearly, Ei knows about the Decree but not that war has broken out.]
[Paimon: Seems that way.]
[Lumine: Ei only knows what the Shogun knows. The Shogun issued the Decree, so Ei naturally knows of it.]
[Ningguang: Still trapped by limited information.]
Ei continued, "For instance, the issuance of the Vision Hunt Decree was done with my tacit approval."
"As for the Fatui's actions, they have yet to pose a threat to eternity. Otherwise, they would have been eliminated long ago."
Lumine protested, "But the people of Inazuma have lost so much."
Ei countered, "Wishes are inherently detrimental to eternity. You may not realize this, but chasing wishes often makes one lose even more."
"Consider the concealment of Visions—no one has died from losing their Vision. Those who lost their lives were precisely those who stubbornly pursued their wishes. Is that not so?"
[Lumine: I think of Teppei... I don't know how to refute this.]
[Yae Miko: The answer is simple—willingness. Those who chase wishes understand what they face. It is their choice. Even if the price is life itself, they willingly pay it for their wishes. But they do not wish for their wishes to be stripped away. Life is precious, yet some things transcend life itself.]
[Lumine: Profound.]
[Paimon: Profound.]
[Furina: Profound.]
[Charlotte: Profound.]
Lumine thought of Teppei—he died pursuing his wish.
Ei continued, "Traveler, you are truly unique in my eyes. You seem to possess endless uncertainty. In other words, you are furthest from eternity."
"So I have no intention of making you understand its meaning. This body shall merely enact the way of eternity for this world."
Lumine asked, "This is your Plane of Euthymia—a space formed from your consciousness, correct?"
Ei crossed her arms. "Correct. You know of this? No matter. You seek an opportunity to shake my will, do you not?"
Lumine's gaze grew determined. "I won't argue with you anymore. I'll defeat you directly."
Ei grew serious. "Very well, defier of eternity. Show me your resolve."
[Paimon: She's willingly fighting the Electro Archon?]
[Lumine: We trained specifically to fight the Shogun for this moment. When words fail, we use force.]
[Yae Miko: Exactly. Change someone's convictions through battle.]
Lumine engaged Ei in fierce combat.
But Ei was no rigid puppet.
Despite special anti-Shogun training, Lumine could not gain the upper hand.
Repulsed again, Lumine remembered Yae Miko's instructions. She brought out Miko's charm.
The charm emitted a soft white glow, and Miko appeared behind Lumine.
A light laugh followed.
"My, my. You remembered only now?"
[Paimon: Miko really did pop out of it!]
[Lumine: Truly remarkable.]
[Yae Miko: It's not that remarkable. I merely embedded my will within an object. The Plane of Euthymia is a space of consciousness, so I can appear here. Normally, you needn't worry about me suddenly popping out—unless you're asleep. I might still suddenly appear in your dreams.]
Seeing Miko appear, Ei's expression shifted. "Miko. So this was your scheme?"
Miko smiled. "Don't forget who taught you to embed consciousness in objects."
She leaned close to Lumine's ear and whispered, "You didn't think your wish alone could surpass Ei's will, did you?"
"You stand here, but their wishes have long been entrusted to you. Now close your eyes."
Lumine closed her eyes and opened her heart.
One by one, voices arose. One by one, points of light ignited around her.
Countless wishes converged into a single phrase, resounding loudly:
"We wish for the Vision Hunt Decree to be abolished!"
The light of countless Visions illuminated the Plane of Euthymia.
Lumine's power surged. She battled Ei and ultimately defeated her.
[Paimon: She... actually defeated Ei?!]
[Zhongli: Combining countless unwavering convictions into power lent to Lumine. Miko's ingenuity is astounding.]
[Lumine: Miko foresaw everything. Every step was precisely calculated.]
[Yae Miko: I suppose I'm a born strategist—maneuvering within the tent, winning battles a thousand miles away.]
[Ei: Miko, could you take command of the Shogunate forces?]
[Yae Miko: No, no. I have no interest in managing an army. It would interfere with my novel reading.]
Miko said softly, "Ah. You have lost, Ei."
Ei looked up. "Yes. I have lost."
Miko asked, "Why can you not trust your people? Trust in the power of their wishes?"
"Those wishes have transcended distance, transcended space and time. They are now things no one can extinguish."
Lumine added, "When people give their all to advance, they can surpass even the gods' expectations."
Miko looked at Lumine. "Is this what you learned in Liyue? The nation where humanity runs forward, leaving their god behind?"
[Zhongli: The Qixing's performance indeed exceeded my expectations. But I was not left behind. I merely wished to retire.]
[Keqing: Rex Lapis's wisdom is truly great wisdom.]
[Ningguang: Rex Lapis has not truly retired. We may still consult him when problems arise.]
[Zhongli: Mm. I trust you to resolve everything. If not necessary, do not seek me out.]
Miko turned back to Ei. "Then why do we willfully abandon progress?"
Ei grew agitated. "The losses that progress brings—you witnessed them alongside me. Only eternity, only eternity can..."
Ei fell into recollection.
The video played scenes of Ei and Makoto's story.
"Where lightning strikes, shadows are cast. I am the shadow."
"With Musou, I cleared all obstacles impeding Inazuma's advance. Yet with each step forward, something was lost. In the end, even she was lost."
"Those deeds are still celebrated beneath every Thunder Sakura's shade. But the scars of loss left upon this nation still burn."
"'Just pursue it,' she once told me. 'Even if it's but a fleeting glimmer, at least we have this moment.'"
[Ningguang: So long as I can feel such brilliant moments, I will not fall into darkness and die. The moment itself is eternity.]
[Paimon: Ningguang's words are complex. I don't quite understand.]
[Ningguang: Just expressing what I feel.]
"But I witnessed a nation running at full speed lose everything before the heavenly principles. Perhaps only by freezing time itself can the lightning not fade."
"The present is fragile illusion. Only eternity approaches heaven's principles."
"Now, I am no longer the shadow."
"This body is the most supreme and honored body. It should hold the great authority of the world. This body should promise its subjects a dream."
"A dream of eternity, unchanging for a thousand generations."
[Ningguang: In the process of progressing, Ei lost her companions and her sister. Unwilling to lose more, she closed her heart. Her heart became eternity.]
[Yae Miko: Exactly.]
[Paimon: Perhaps not every Inazuman fears loss.]
[Yae Miko: Indeed. One's own choice and a forced choice are fundamentally different.]
Miko smiled. "Heavenly principles mean nothing to me. In short, you wish to eternally protect your beloved Inazuma. Is that not so?"
Ei turned away. "Miko, you speak too lightly of this."
Miko smiled. "But does this nation possess the value of eternal existence?"
"Deprived of wishes, deprived of change—a nation that merely exists is but an empty shell."
"Ha. If so, what matter if it is destroyed?"
Ei spoke gravely. "Miko, take back your reckless words. Eternity unchanging for a thousand generations—this is the promise I made my subjects."
Miko looked intently at Ei. "But your subjects do not need your promises. What they need is your gaze."
[Ningguang: What they want is not this substitute choice. What they want is your blessing.]
[Furina: Miko speaks so well.]
[Arataki Itto: Am I the only one who thinks Lumine looks like a light bulb?]
[Keqing: It does seem that way.]
[Lumine: Hmm? Never mind. I'm just a tool.]
[Yae Miko: Lumine, without your help, I could not have done this.]
Ei: "Visions? Human lifespans are but a century. They cannot bear those losses. Having experienced everything, I choose to guide them toward the most correct eternity."
Miko sighed. "But eternity is too cruel for you, Ei."
Ei repeated blankly, "For me?"
Miko continued, "You no longer gaze upon the world—and you no longer gaze upon yourself."
"All alone here for centuries. It must be lonely."
[Furina: Yes... so lonely. No end in sight. But now I know the end. Days have become bearable.]
[Lumine: Everything will be alright.]
Ei: "But this is necessary."
Yae Miko: "If you do not advance, you also miss much. Are you not also losing, frozen in this moment for eternity?"
"Enduring such loneliness, yet stretching this loneliness infinitely for eternity's sake."
"Tell me—why was this sky once so dark, yet now it shines with light?"
"This is your Plane of Euthymia. Your inner world."
"So you are actually glad to see me again. You can no longer bear this loneliness. Isn't that so?"
Ei was visibly shaken. "I... I have nothing to say."
[Paimon: Miko really understands Ei. She sees right through her.]
[Ningguang: One might say Miko has the ability to see through people's hearts. And not just one person—she sees through everyone. Wasn't Lumine handled clearly? Wasn't Sara?]
[Paimon: Miko, you don't actually have mind-reading powers, do you?]
[Yae Miko: No. I am merely more observant.]
[Ningguang: If Miko went into business, she'd be formidable.]
[Yae Miko: Business? My Yae Publishing House sells quite well.]
Miko smiled. "I have countless things to tell you. Oh, let me recount these centuries to you."
Ei asked, smiling, "How long would recounting centuries take?"
Miko thought. "A kitsune's memory is excellent. I remember every detail."
"So perhaps a few centuries."
[Yae Miko: If I recounted every novel I've edited, it might take a millennium.]
[Paimon: Centuries of editing experience—Miko must be an excellent writer.]
[Yae Miko: Naturally. Every book I touch is a hit.]
Ei was amused. "Miko. I thought I'd never see you like this again."
"Seeing you is a variable within eternity. A pleasant surprise."
Miko put her hands on her hips. "Since you've honestly admitted it, we can still be friends."
Ei said helplessly, "Such childish talk."
"But since I have lost to your plan, I shall follow your will and abolish the Vision Hunt Decree."
[Lumine: Truly, no words could persuade her. But defeat her, and her mind changes.]
[Yae Miko: Naturally. My calculations never err.]
"However, regarding eternity, whether this nation should advance—I must consider further."
Miko sighed softly. "All along, the childish one has been you."
Later, the Raiden Shogun abolished the Vision Hunt Decree as promised. The people's wishes finally opened her locked heart.
Beyond the Plane of Euthymia, she saw eternity reflected in the eyes of the world.
...
Paimon, who had not entered the Plane of Euthymia, asked curiously, "What happened in there? The Decree really was abolished!"
Lumine explained, "It was mostly Yae Miko's doing. With her help, the people's wishes reached Ei."
Paimon: "I see. I was so worried. So did Miko summon us to thank us? Let's go find her!"
Soon, Lumine arrived at the Sacred Sakura and found Miko.
Miko feigned surprise. "Oh, if it isn't the triumphant Traveler! Come to the shrine to offer thanks?"
Paimon shrugged. "Didn't you summon us?"
Miko chuckled. "Just joking. I've been waiting for you."
[Paimon: Miko really loves playing around.]
[Lumine: Being with Miko must be joyful.]
Paimon: "Miko seems in excellent spirits."
Miko nodded. "Yes. Rarely do I get to catch up with an old friend. That's always worth celebrating."
"Speaking of which, I later heard you fought a Harbinger in a duel before the Shogun. Such courage deserves praise."
Lumine: "I got a bit carried away."
Yae Miko: "Defeating Signora head-on—your strength exceeded my predictions too."
"But victory is victory. Congratulations are in order."
Paimon beamed. "We finally thwarted the Fatui's plans!"
"At least this time, they didn't get the Gnosis."
"Wait... you mentioned the Gnosis." Miko was surprised. "You mean that chess-piece-like thing?"
Paimon nodded. "Yes! Have you seen it too? The Gnosis belonging to the Seven, connected to Celestia."
Miko paused. "Ah... I already gave it away."
[Paimon: How unfortunate! The Gnosis, just given away!]
[Neuvillette: Keeping the Gnosis in Inazuma would only bring conflict. And it's not exactly a blessing.]
[Paimon: I remember now... it bears a curse.]
Paimon's eyes widened. "What?!"
Yae Miko: "Otherwise, what do you think I used to ransom your lives from Scaramouche?"
Lumine: "So back then..."
Miko continued, "Scaramouche is now the Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers. His strength surpasses Signora's."
"I'm not one to risk my life recklessly."
[Furina: Hehe, same here! I dislike fighting too.]
[Paimon: It's somewhat different.]
[Furina: How so?]
[Paimon: Miko doesn't want to fight, not that she can't. You genuinely can't fight.]
[Furina: Aaaaah, Paimon!]
[Arataki Itto: Hahaha, Furina's breaking down!]
[Lumine: Paimon, don't hurt our friends.]
Paimon was dizzy. "I don't even know what to say anymore."
Lumine asked, "But why did you have the Gnosis?"
Miko explained, "After Ei created the puppet, the Gnosis had nowhere to go. As her closest friend, she entrusted it to me for safekeeping at the Grand Narukami Shrine."
"She no longer needs its power. She said she's severed ties with Celestia."
"Since it's useless and only invites conflict, trading it for the key figures in our plan—wasn't that a good bargain?"
She looked at Lumine. "And judging by the outcome, I definitely profited."
[Ningguang: She discarded a useless Gnosis. Inazuma gained a future.]
[Keqing: A massive profit.]
[Tartaglia: Win-win! We Fatui profited too!]
Paimon: "True. In my heart, Lumine is worth more than any Gnosis."
Lumine: "So that's why we never saw Scaramouche again."
Paimon: "Oh well. Can't chase it back now. Water under the bridge."
"So, Miko, why did you summon us?"
Miko smiled. "To thank you. You've been traveling all over Teyvat, and your Inazuma journey must be ending soon."
"As thanks, I'll answer any questions you have—about your future path or past doubt."
"Ask away."
Lumine: "I want to know about the puppet Shogun."
Yae Miko: "The technology behind the puppet comes from lost knowledge. Only Ei as a deity could understand its origins."
"But one thing might interest you."
"Before modifying her divine body, Ei created a prototype puppet from nothing."
Paimon: "So there are three Raiden Shoguns?"
Miko shook her head. "No. That prototype merely verified feasibility. Its appearance and intelligence weren't modeled on Ei—a test product."
"Originally, Ei should have discarded him. But perhaps finding that too cruel, she merely sealed his power."
"Later, he wandered Inazuma as an ordinary person, driven by self-awareness. Eventually, the Fatui found him. With adjustments from their specialists, they unsealed his power—perhaps making him even stronger than before."
Lumine guessed, "Could it be..."
Miko nodded. "Yes. A divine creation whose Gnosis was taken. That prototype is now Scaramouche."
[Arataki Itto: If only he'd been destroyed then. The Fatui would lack a powerful Harbinger.]
[Ningguang: When a child is born, they might become good or evil. They might write novels or perform plays. Should we kill them simply because they might become evil?]
[Paimon: I almost asked that. Now I understand. The prototype was like a child. No one knew which path he'd take.]
[Ningguang: Yes. Scaramouche lacked love. Wandering alone from birth, deprived of family and companionship—he was indeed more susceptible to deception.]
Paimon was astonished. "Incredible."
Yae Miko: "Yes. Coincidence or fate?"
Lumine asked her second question: "About the previous Raiden Shogun."
Yae Miko was surprised. "You outsiders know the Electro Archon was replaced? Few Inazumans know this."
Paimon: "Morax mentioned that Baal had passed..."
Yae Miko nodded. "Yes. The truth is this: Baal and Beelzebul were twin gods. They jointly won the Archon War. Later, when Baal established the Shogunate, Beelzebul served as her shadow—her substitute."
"Beelzebul is the Ei we know. Baal's name was Makoto."