"Shogun? You're back?"
Yae Miko looked up as the Raiden Shogun returned to Tenshukaku.
For days, the puppet had been wandering the dream, rarely setting foot back in the castle tower.
Even when she did, it was only for a fleeting glance before vanishing again.
"Someone asked me to guard her."
The Shogun's gaze shifted toward Makoto.
Her bond with Makoto wasn't as deep as Ei's, but as a creation of Ei's will, she would help fulfill her master's requests— at least when they didn't conflict with Eternity.
"So Ei went with him too?"
Makoto had known Su Ran was heading to Liyue to watch the spectacle.
She hadn't expected Ei to tag along as well.
"The truth is obvious.
This dream depends on him.
Aside from the dreamer, no one understands its workings.
To ensure it doesn't collapse, letting him leave freely isn't an option."
Eternity wasn't unbreakable.
If it were, the puppet would never have been made as its guardian.
This dream of Eternity was destined to shatter— not the one they had longed for.
"Oh? If Eternity is eternal, why worry about Makoto's safety?
Why station you here?"
Yae Miko immediately caught the flaw in her words.
If the dream were truly eternal, there'd be no reason for extra protection.
"If you don't wish to see it broken, why even ask me that?"
The Shogun's eyes glimmered with meaning.
As expected, the fox wasn't content.
Stagnant stillness held no appeal for her.
"Curiosity, that's all."
With Ei absent, Yae didn't bother hiding it.
What was the Shogun going to do, cut her down?
Su Ran had promised there would be no death in the dream, not unless he willed it.
Besides, the puppet had changed.
She had wandered Inazuma alone, laid aside the rigidity of her old self.
Her emotions were almost human now.
"Less curiosity means fewer risks.
This dream has flaws, yes.
But I won't tell you how to unravel them."
Until the moment for change truly arrived, the puppet would not intervene.
This dream wasn't the Eternity she sought, but it was close enough to perfection.
"And what if someone stumbled onto the method by accident?"
If a method existed, then the possibility could never be ruled out.
Trial and error, given infinite time— sooner or later, someone would succeed.
"You're welcome to try."
The Shogun showed no worry.
Without the dreamer's consent, this place was utterly unbreakable.
"…Best not. If I really succeeded, Ei would probably cut me down herself."
For now, Makoto could only exist within this dream.
Even if Yae Miko hated the stagnant stillness, she wouldn't break it recklessly— not until she found a way to save Makoto.
But she had to know that way.
For a still eternity only bred death.
"I want that one!"
Ei tugged Su Ran's sleeve, pointing at a street vendor's stall.
After extracting heavy promises from him, she had finally agreed to let him leave the dream.
But she insisted on sticking to him like glue.
The moment they stepped into Liyue, the bustling sights stunned her.
When had she ever seen such prosperity in Inazuma?
Compared to this, her homeland looked like a backwater village.
Her awe quickly gave way to excitement— the food stalls, the aromas, the variety.
Unlike in Inazuma, here she couldn't run a tab, nor bully merchants into letting her eat for free.
Without Mora, she had no way to indulge— unless Su Ran paid.
And judging by her sparkling eyes, she was far more thrilled than he was.
After all, this was the Rite of Descension.
Locals and tourists alike flooded the streets, and vendors multiplied to seize the chance to earn coin.
This time, Ei wasn't using the puppet body.
That shell could never keep him in line unless she literally clung to his arms— too humiliating abroad.
So she decisively abandoned it.
It was one of her conditions.
Su Ran, of course, was disappointed.
"Hey, isn't this the genius himself? What brings you here?"
A hand clapped down on Su Ran's shoulder.
Ei's eyes snapped toward the newcomer, her wary gaze sharp enough to cut.
Sensing her hostility, the man quickly withdrew his hand.
His instincts screamed: this woman was dangerous.
"…Dada Duck?"
Su Ran groaned as he recognized the cheerful face.
Of all people—Tartaglia.
He wasn't famous in Liyue.
The "genius" title might be well-known in the Fatui, but across the Seven Nations, his name hadn't spread.
Even in Inazuma, only Fatui insiders knew him as the Second Harbinger.
But with Childe showing up to greet him like this, by tonight, his dossier would surely land on the desks of the Qixing.
"Could you not keep calling me Dada Duck?
People will start thinking that's my actual name…"
Tartaglia sighed.
Whatever the genius had done in Inazuma, this was Liyue—his turf.
And here, stealing the Archon's heart was no simple task.
One shot a year, and not a guaranteed one.
Challenging a god was never rational.
But now that the genius was here, he saw new hope.
He couldn't do it alone, but with the Second Seat at his side, success didn't seem so farfetched.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your companion?
I can tell she's strong."
A warrior's instincts told him the truth: the girl beside Su Ran wasn't just beautiful— she was powerful.
"Oh, she's strong enough to fight the Tsaritsa herself."
Su Ran didn't bother hiding her identity.
The Shogun's face wasn't taboo outside Inazuma.
Even if Tartaglia hadn't seen her, he could easily confirm it.
"Strong enough to rival Her Majesty?"
Tartaglia's heart shook.
In all of Inazuma, there was only one who could stand beside the Tsaritsa—the Raiden Shogun herself.
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