["Very well, what about you all? Be it the Takatsukasa Clan or anyone else, if someone can defeat me, they shall become the new Tenryou Commissioner."]
[Retainers: "..."]
Not a single person spoke up. No one wanted to spill their blood and brains on the ground. I could give my all, but I won't let my blood and brains be spilled.
[Kujou Kamaji mustered his courage: "I! I want to challenge you, Lady Shogun!"]
This was something no one expected. The people of Inazuma knew Kujou Kamaji, the second son of the Kujou Clan, a figure who didn't have much presence.
He appeared frail and scholarly, so no one anticipated he would have such boldness.
This act instantly earned him a lot of goodwill from the people of Inazuma, for they highly revered martial prowess.
In the eyes of Inazumans, the Raiden Shogun was the pinnacle of martial strength, her might unquestionable.
For Kujou Kamaji to dare challenge the Raiden Shogun, his courage already surpassed that of most Inazumans.
This was evident from the fact that not a single person from the Takatsukasa Clan dared to speak up, despite all of them being samurai.
Regarding Kujou Kamaji's actions, Hiiragi Chisato felt both worried and gratified. This was the man she loved. His abilities might not be top-tier, but he dared to shoulder everything.
Indeed, Hiiragi Chisato was also reading the book. Since Ei had been thoroughly educated by Lucian, she naturally learned about the actions of the Kanjou Commission and the Tenryou Commission.
Hiiragi Chisato's father had been arrested, so she was now free.
Besides Hiiragi Chisato, Ei, upon reading this passage, subtly revealed a faint smile.
The young man in the illustration, drawing his blade against her, reminded Ei of the head of the Kujou Clan from a thousand years ago.
This young man wasn't as great as him, but he still had that same fiery spirit, that same resolute expression—so similar.
Wasn't this wonderful? Many things in Inazuma had changed, but some things remained the same.
Amid the disorientation brought by change, she finally felt the comfort of the familiar.
As Yae Miko and Lucian had said, as long as the people remained, Inazuma would remain. Even if it had changed greatly, it was still the Inazuma of old.
It was as if she were seeing the grand show of that night once more.
Though the "actors" had changed and the "play" was different, the feeling was still the same as before!
"The descendants of the Kujou Clan… they still have some of that fiery spirit." Ei was gratified.
After witnessing so many "changes," seeing something that remained "unchanged" truly made Ei happy.
It was like someone from the late last century seeing the toys they played with as a child becoming popular again.
Though Ei was pleased, she still declared:
["Descendant of the Kujou Clan, it's unfortunate, but even if you defeat me, the mistakes made by the Kujou Clan cannot be erased with a single stroke."]
[Kujou Kamaji said: "No, I don't think I have any chance of winning. I know full well that with the mistakes the clan head made, the Kujou Clan's legacy in the Tenryou Commission should rightfully end…"]
["During the Vision Hunt Decree, I didn't just fail to do anything—I didn't even try to do anything."]
["At the very least, in the final moments of the Kujou Clan, I am the representative of the Kujou Clan!"]
["My ancestors proved their will with their blades, so please allow me, Kujou Kamaji, to end it in this way!"]
Ei understood that this was not just the "end" of the Kujou Clan but also the curtain falling on an era.
The Inazuma of the future would step into a path she could not foresee.
[Ei nodded, "Come forward."]
In the duel, it was undoubtedly a one-sided battle. Even without taking it seriously, Ei's mere swings of her naginata were enough to overwhelm Kujou Kamaji.
He was knocked down time and again, yet he stood up each time. Even until he fainted, he never gave up, grasping the hilt of his fallen sword and charging again!
Kujou Sara was very satisfied with such a performance. This was the loyalty and righteousness the Kujou Clan should embody!
Previously, Kujou Sara had proactively sought punishment from the Raiden Shogun, but the Shogun stated that she was not to blame and surprisingly did not punish her.
Kujou Sara secretly thought it was a pity… no, Kujou Sara genuinely felt that the Raiden Shogun was a gentle deity.
As expected, in the story, the Raiden Shogun, after knocking Kujou Kamaji unconscious, gently instructed the Takatsukasa Clan to take care of him. Truly too kind!
However, besides marveling at the Shogun's kindness, Kujou Sara also noticed some issues with the Kujou Clan.
Although in reality, due to Lucian's intervention, some changes had occurred, and the Kujou Clan could still maintain stability within the Tenryou Commission for now, the subordinates' ulterior motives were becoming increasingly apparent. The current Tenryou Commission was, to put it bluntly, in chaos!
But now, things were better. The Shogun announced a temporary reprieve for the Kujou Clan's punishment. With these words, the other clans became much more obedient, at least until the Kujou Clan completely fell.
[Ei: "If you still think you can replicate the Fatui's tactics, providing false information to make me misjudge,"]
["then I will appear again as I did today, and my blade will show no mercy."]
Ei's meaning was clear: Fool me once, fine. But if you try it a second time, do you really think I'm a fool? If you take me for a fool, my blade will not hold back.
I may be a "delicate goddess" with few tricks, but I have plenty of strength.
After speaking, Ei left the place with the Traveler.
The intimate words they were about to share were not meant for others' ears.
The readers couldn't hear them either; they could only see.
They saw Ei leading the Traveler away from the Takatsukasa Clan's residence, with Paimon praising the Shogun for being particularly majestic.
[Ei replied, "Is that so? I think I've already been quite adaptable. If it were the Shogun, it's very likely… she would have mercilessly cut down Kujou Kamaji."]
Hiiragi Chisato's heart skipped a beat reading this. Fortunately, it wasn't the Shogun back then, or Kamaji would have been doomed.
Kujou Kamaji, on the other hand, didn't feel much about it. After all, the story version of him didn't know the difference between the Shogun and Ei. He had gone into the duel prepared to die, so surviving was already an unexpected outcome.
It was quite a coincidence that it was Ei who appeared here, not the Shogun.
If it had been the Shogun, let alone Kujou Kamaji, even Raiden Ei herself would have been cut down without hesitation.
It was the kind of filial devotion that would make Scaramouche's "eyes light up with joy."
[Ei continued, "The Kujou Clan has gone from glory to decline, experiencing unimaginable changes. Kujou Kamaji is not an exceptional successor, but…"]
["He allowed me, amidst these great changes, to see things that have not changed."]
Ei in reality deeply related to this. Though she hadn't personally experienced Kujou Kamaji's "honor," she had genuinely felt Inazuma's changes. Seeing something unchanged now was truly comforting, as if she hadn't yet become a relic of a bygone era.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Raiden Shogun: About Kujou Kamaji
"You speak of the Kujou Clan's descendant? I don't understand their inner feelings. In my view, those who affect Eternity should simply be cut down."