Yae Miko walked over and asked how the training was going.
Lumine confidently replied that there were no problems.
"By the way, Miko, you're the Raiden Shogun's familiar, right?"
"That's correct." Miko crossed her arms and smiled. "Could it be that you want to see what 'Miss Fox' looks like?"
Lumine said, "Very interested!"
Miko wore a triumphant expression. "Not a chance."
[Transform for me!]
[Wait, buddy, isn't this backwards?]
"Uh... that's pretty much the expected answer..." Paimon chimed in.
She had already heard this kind of reply too many times today.
Miko returned to her serious demeanor.
"I know what you're wondering. As her familiar, it's strange that we no longer meet, right?"
Lumine nodded—that was exactly what she wanted to say.
"'An eternally unchanging nation' was a dream we shared, but I don't believe that means complete 'stagnation.'"
Miko turned to face the direction of Tenshukaku.
"From a certain moment onward, she began walking a path that grew increasingly distant from me."
"Before Ei stepped into the 'Plane of Euthymia,' she didn't bid me farewell."
On the side unseen by Lumine and Mu Yang, Miko's expression carried a hint of loneliness.
"Perhaps it's just my own wishful thinking, but I believe this is how she thought friendship could remain eternal."
"No goodbyes, no more meetings—our relationship would stay frozen as it was in the past. At least, that's how she must have seen it."
Mu Yang mentioned that before he left, he had asked Ei about it.
But she didn't give a direct answer.
Miko sighed. "Still as stubborn as ever..."
"However, I will drag her out of her self-imposed seclusion. That is my duty as the 'Familiar of Eternity.'"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a smile.
"Lady Miko really is a great friend."
Miko turned back, her expression shifting back to that fox-like smirk.
"Heh, I only told you all this to make it easier for you to understand my plans. Don't get carried away, alright?"
Miko clapped her hands. "Alright, alright, now it's time for the 'Advanced Anti-Raiden Shogun Training.'"
Lumine's second meme-worthy expression appeared. "Huh? There's more?!"
In truth, the so-called "advanced" version wasn't much different.
Mu Yang was just casually messing around—after all, Ei wouldn't be going all out later.
Given the current situation, no amount of training would make them capable of winning. They'd still have to rely on plot armor.
After the training ended,
Mu Yang said he had gained some insights into swordsmanship and left first.
The others returned to the Grand Narukami Shrine, where Miko finally laid out the full situation in Inazuma.
The issuance of the Vision Hunt Decree was not the will of Ei or the Shogun.
Rather, someone had exploited the puppet Shogun's single-minded pursuit of "eternity" to manipulate events.
The Tenryou Commission, which enforced the decree, and the Kanjou Commission, which fully supported it, had long been colluding with the Fatui.
The current situation was:
The Fatui's troublemakers were still active, having co-opted the two Commissions while secretly distributing Delusions.
However, under the protection of the two Commissions and the Raiden Shogun, the mastermind behind it all remained untraceable.
The first step of Miko's plan was to turn Kujou Sara against the Tenryou Commission.
With the help of the Yashiro Commission and various resistance forces, Sara finally saw the truth about the Kujou Clan.
She intended to report everything to the Shogun.
Lumine followed closely to Tenshukaku, only to find Kujou Sara already collapsed on the ground.
Standing opposite the Shogun was La Signora.
Signora glanced at Lumine and sneered.
"Rushing in one after another like a pack of wild dogs..."
"If I didn't know this was Tenshukaku, I might've mistaken it for some backwater marketplace."
"Now, have you learned your lesson?"
This last remark referred to Sara, lying unconscious on the ground.
In truth, aside from those present, Mu Yang was also lurking nearby, invisible.
Mu Yang remarked:
"Lumine, actually, that day, I never went to meditate on swordsmanship."
"Tsk tsk, the live experience is way more intense than watching a stream."
"The only downside is that the Shogun didn't even prepare a divine throne."
Resigned, Mu Yang pulled out a white plastic stool brimming with power and took a seat.
Though the system's functions were incredibly powerful,
the cautious Mu Yang still used the appearance of the "Swordsman Slayer."
He wasn't trying to hide his identity—absolutely not planning to toy with Signora during the upcoming battle.
The Raiden Shogun, standing in her position of authority, spoke with emotionless detachment.
"The sins of Inazuma's people shall be judged by me. You have no right, Signora."
Signora spread her hands arrogantly, showing no respect for the archon of a nation.
"...My apologies, Your Excellency the Shogun."
Lumine stared intently at the Fatui Harbinger. "Signora!"
Signora turned around.
"Alright, alright, I know you can't forget me, but there's no need to keep saying my name."
"I know you resent me, you persistent traveler. I'm not surprised to see you here."
Lumine listed Signora's crimes, accusing her of meddling in Inazuma's affairs.
Signora didn't care at all—in fact, she mocked Lumine in return.
"Hehehe... I'm merely a diplomatic envoy from Snezhnaya. I have no idea what you're talking about."
She then ridiculed the soldiers of Watatsumi Island who had suffered from Delusion backlash,
dismissing their resistance against the Vision Hunt Decree as worthless.
Lumine already held no goodwill toward Signora after what happened with Venti.
Now, after this verbal onslaught, her anger reached its peak.
Lumine glared at Signora. "It's time to settle this!"
Signora sneered. "Settle this? Hahaha..."
"I am a little tired of that face of yours, but I didn't expect you to be so reckless."
"Before you spout nonsense, have you even realized... you're still Inazuma's most-wanted criminal? Think carefully about your own situation first."
Signora leaned in close to taunt her.
"Barging into Tenshukaku, spouting nonsense before the throne—isn't that just walking into a trap?"
"I hope you understand the gap between us—whether in status... or strength."
Mu Yang, enjoying the drama, commented:
"So you're the one who reminded her about the 'before the throne' part, huh?"
As soon as Lumine finished listening to Signora's speech, she assumed a battle stance.
"I challenge you to a 'Duel Before the Throne'!"
[Wow! Sis is so cool!]
[Everyone, stand up!]
[RIP, looks like Signora won't be playable after all.]
The Raiden Shogun nodded in silent approval of Lumine's decision.
Signora's eyes sharpened.
"To think you'd pull this move... You've learned to use this nation's rules too, huh?"
"Forcing us onto equal footing—I admit, that's unexpected."
"But the loser... dies. Have you thought this through?"
Though surprised, Signora wasn't afraid. After all, she believed herself far stronger than Lumine.
Back in Mondstadt, she'd just frozen her feet—how strong could she really be?
Lumine didn't respond, her expression clearly saying, "Stop talking and fight."
Signora laughed. "Hehehe... Very well, let me condescend to dance with you—until one of us... reaches the end."
[Signora, let me tell you something—I can restart infinite times, but you only need to lose once.]
[Damn, that protagonist halo though.]
[The fairest match ever.]