Thunderstorms still raged over the sea.
Ei looked at Azhdaha, who seemed to be waiting for her answer, and suddenly asked, "You've already noticed the problem with me, haven't you?"
Azhdaha's gaze fell on the [Engulfing Lightning] in her hand. His eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded. "Yeah. I realized it while we were fighting just now. This body of yours… doesn't seem to be listening to you anymore."
Expressionless, Ei lowered her head and raised her left hand.
Her fingers were slender and elegant, nothing like those of a hardened warrior. But if one looked closely, they would see all five trembling ever so slightly.
The tremor was faint, but in battle, Azhdaha had still noticed the anomaly.
Ei lifted her head again. "After all, I already abandoned it."
"What do you mean?"
"You were once driven mad by erosion. You should know how terrifying it is. To avoid that fate, I reforged my body into a puppet of Eternity, and I gave it strict rules. I prepared for every possible danger, even the chance that one day, I myself might become a threat to Eternity."
Azhdaha frowned in thought. "So… just now, that puppet was resisting your will?"
"That's right." Ei's voice was calm. "To her judgment, I've already betrayed my old ideals of Eternity. That makes me her greatest enemy."
"I see… then do you still want to fight?"
"Do you?"
"Forget it. In your state, it wouldn't be much fun… unless you're willing to reconsider that fixed match I mentioned."
"I refuse."
"Wait, Beelzebul—you heard Baal on the phone earlier. She said she wanted Gods' Temptation too. You're her sister, so you won't make just a little sacrifice for her sake?"
"This is different." Ei sheathed her naginata. "If my sister wants Gods' Temptation, I'll learn it from my cousin. Once I master it, I'll make it for her myself. I don't need your methods."
"You're going to learn to cook Gods' Temptation?" Azhdaha blinked, then gave her a strange look. "That dish isn't easy to learn…"
"It's fine. Just Liyue cuisine."
"That's not just ordinary Liyue cuisine."
"And I'm not an ordinary cook."
"You… fine. If you're that confident, then I wish you luck. Once you've learned, we'll come freeload a meal."
"Fine."
Ei turned, putting her naginata away as she left. "Thanks for the drinks tonight."
"Don't mention it."
As her figure disappeared into the distance, the raging storm over the sea faded with her departure.
Azhdaha left the battlefield as well, returning to Venti and the two adepti.
"Hey, Barbatos. I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"
"The bad."
"The bad news is Beelzebul refused the fixed match idea."
"And the good?"
"The good is she's planning to ask Mr. Xia to teach her how to make Gods' Temptation."
"…What?"
Venti stared at him, his expression growing odd.
The adepti were surprised. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"
Venti gave them a pitying look, as if at two ignorant children. "Hardly. Beelzebul's cooking is… terrifying, in its own way. Forget it. If there's no show to watch, let's just get some sleep—or head to the net café."
"Mm!"
Behind the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Ei once again stood beneath the Sacred Sakura.
She held out her hand, staring at her fingers.
They were still trembling.
A soft sigh escaped her lips.
Until recently, it had been fine. Even with the Sakoku Decree eased, she'd still been focused on Inazuma's path toward [Eternity]. Her goal hadn't changed much—only her methods had become less extreme. Because of that, the Shogun hadn't resisted her.
But with Makoto truly back, the foundation of her pursuit vanished in an instant. Her ideals no longer aligned with [Eternity], and so the puppet followed its rules as written—declaring her a threat to eliminate.
Thus Ei and the Shogun, two separate wills, began battling for control over the same body.
She knew well—this trembling was just the beginning. If she let the Shogun continue unchecked, her body would eventually fall into chaos.
She couldn't let her sister see her in such a pitiful state.
She had to end this, one way or another.
And she knew how. If she entered the Realm of Consciousness, she could separate herself from the puppet, free of interference.
The Shogun, though a puppet, still had her own self-awareness. When necessary, she would appear there to confront Ei directly.
The night was still long.
Ei checked the time on her phone, then sat cross-legged beneath the Sacred Sakura. Closing her eyes, she slipped into meditation.
Moments later, she found herself in a dazzling, unfamiliar dreamscape.
But it wasn't Makoto's.
It seemed to be… someone else's dream.
She blinked in surprise—only to see another figure appear beside her.
An exact copy of herself.
But colder, more detached.
Ei's eyes widened. "Shogun?"
The Raiden Shogun met her gaze. "It's me."
"How did you get here?"
"I don't know. It feels like something drew me in with you."
Ei frowned. "To draw a god into a dream… Greater Lord Rukkhadevata has dominion over dreams. Could it be her?"
She scanned the dream, but found no other presences—not even the dreamer.
The Shogun said flatly, "Whether this is a Realm of Consciousness or someone's dream doesn't matter."
Ei nodded. "What matters is that we now share this space."
The Shogun's voice turned solemn. "Do you truly intend to abandon [Eternity]?"
Ei answered just as firmly. "Yes. That's why I came. Words alone won't suffice. We are both warriors—there's only one way for us to speak now. Through battle."
"This body symbolizes supreme authority. It was entrusted with leading a nation. It bears the pain you cast aside and the resolve you forged in pursuit of Eternity. All to resist [erosion]. Resolve, courage, love, hatred… all of it warps over time. Only [rules] endure forever."
"That was indeed my belief when I created you. And now it's the wall I must climb. I know exactly what laws I gave you—you are the ideal of my past self, the very foundation of [Eternity]. You can't be moved. If it weren't necessary, I wouldn't try. But this kind of [Eternity] isn't the Inazuma my sister wanted. So I must set it right."
"Then you would stand against me?"
"Come."
In the next instant, Raiden Ei and the Raiden Shogun clashed with identical strikes.
Inside a dream-internet café.
Xia Zhi and Xia Ci both noticed the disturbances outside the dreamscape.
Looked like Ei was fighting someone. Hard.
Xia Zhi thought for a moment, then handed his game to Shenhe to play in his stead, stepping outside.
Xia Ci did the same, following his cousin.
They pushed open the café doors—and a rift appeared before them.
Crossing it, they moved from the Meditation Space into Xia Zhi's dream world.
Lightning split the sky not far away.
"Looks like Ei and Makoto are sparring?"
"No. Makoto told me she was pulling an all-nighter at Tenshukaku. She wouldn't be here."
"Then it's Ei and the Raiden Shogun?"
"Most likely."
"Why are they fighting?"
"No clue. But we can watch."
"Yeah, let's."
The cousins conjured chairs, sat down with snacks, and started spectating.
"Which one's Ei?"
"The one on the left."
"Why?"
"Gut feeling."
"Who do you think wins?"
"Draw."
"Same here."
Sure enough, it was a tie.
Then another tie.
More people arrived—others from the café, curious why Xia Zhi and Xia Ci hadn't returned.
Soon, a crowd had gathered, all munching on snacks while watching.
Azhdaha explained Ei's current struggle with the Shogun's consciousness, and everyone finally understood the true cause of the fight.
"Draw again."
"Still a draw."
"They're like mirror images. Their strength is identical. Even if they fought for five hundred years, neither would win."
"Then it comes down to willpower."
Xia Ci tilted her head, then suggested, "If fighting doesn't settle it, why not try another arena?"
"Another arena?"
She pointed back toward the café, smiling. "Games, of course. What do you think?"
Zhongli nodded. "By reason, that seems appropriate."
Venti grinned. "I'm in. But let's hear their opinion."
Azhdaha laughed. "I'll ask!"
Before long, Ei and the Shogun joined them.
Ei's eyes swept over the group and stopped at Zhongli. "Morax."
Zhongli greeted her evenly. "It's been a while, Beelzebul."
Ei asked, "What's this about games?"
Azhdaha explained, "Exactly that. Hard to describe—better to show you at the café."
"Alright."
The Shogun nodded too.
They both knew that if they kept fighting, it would never end. It would only turn into a test of endurance—and for gods, that meant centuries at least.
Neither had the time.
Xia Zhi opened a rift—the café door leading back into his Meditation Space.
Crossing over, Ei found rows of strange machines waiting silently.
"These are…?"
"Computers. Think of them as big phones."
"…Oh."
"This is the game we all play. Two teams of five battle in a canyon."
"Five against five? Is there one-on-one?"
"Of course. This is King of Fighters. This one's Street Fighter. Both are good for duels."
"Then King of Fighters."
"Alright. I'll show you how."
Xia Ci gave a quick demonstration.
Ei and the Shogun nodded—they understood.
They sat down. Without a word, they chose the exact same lineup. Even the battle order was identical.
And in the match, they pulled off the exact same moves.
Both characters fell at the same time.
Another draw.
The crowd went quiet. This wasn't going to be simple.
"Try Street Fighter."
Another draw.
"Try racing."
They crossed the finish line together.
"Shooting game?"
They killed each other simultaneously.
Xia Zhi's eyes lit up with interest.
On the Shogun's body, there was no progress bar.
Which meant she and Ei shared the same one.
That was why they were so perfectly in sync, in battle and in play.
Xia Ci sighed. "Looks like games won't work either."
Xia Zhi thought, then said, "I do have one more way."
Both Ei and the Shogun looked at him. "What way?"
"It's a special method to test willpower. In the end, your fight is about that anyway. This might suit you better."
"How does it work?"
"It needs a quiet space. Come with me."
They followed him into a small room.
"Sit."
"…Alright."
"This method uses a special item."
Xia Zhi pulled out a compass-shaped pocket watch.
[Treasure Compass]
Quality: Platinum
Type: Auxiliary Item
Trait: Detection, Hypnosis
Effect: If a Platinum-tier or lower extraordinary item is nearby, the compass needle will point in its direction (nearest). By dangling the dial in front of someone and gently swaying it, the user can hypnotize them. The stronger the user's mental power, the easier it is to succeed.
Hidden Effect: All detection skill ranges +30%, mental power recovery +10%.
"Stare at this compass. Whoever gives in first loses."
His voice was soft but clear.
"So, will you try?"
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