Before coming to Inazuma, Severin had only mastered the Cryo element.
Now, with Electro added to his grasp, two elemental authorities rested firmly in his hands—his confidence naturally surged.
Yet what he needed most right now was time.
So he opened his spatial ring and released the mountain of snacks and sweets.
"Raiden Ei," Severin said calmly,
"I bring these on Lady Yae's behalf. Also—understand this: I am not Inazuma's enemy. I am your guest."
With that, he sat down cross-legged on the spot, closing his eyes and entering a state of deep enlightenment.
His expression became solemn and composed, his aura fully restrained—
like an old monk in silent meditation.
At Ei's command, Musou Isshin hovered at Severin's neck.
Then—
Her gaze drifted to the neatly piled sweets and confections.
They were all flavors she used to love.
Slowly, the blade lowered.
Because she had confirmed something important—
The intruder had spoken the truth.
He really did know Yae Miko.
In five hundred years, aside from Yae Miko herself, no one in Inazuma knew of her fondness for sweets.
And since he insisted he was a guest of Inazuma…
She decided to spare his life—for now.
When Severin opened his eyes again, he realized that a full hundred years had passed.
Fortunately, time flowed differently within the Plane of Euthymia.
A century here amounted to only a few days in the outside world.
Violet lightning shimmered faintly in his pupils—the same manifestation seen in the Raiden Shogun herself.
It was the sign of having comprehended Electro to its very limits.
The pile of sweets was gone.
Either the Raiden Shogun had eaten them—
—or they had expired and turned to dust over a hundred years.
The former was far more likely.
Because not far away, Severin saw the Raiden Shogun standing there, empty snack wrappers scattered beside her.
Raiden Ei spoke softly, her voice tinged with awe.
"Unbelievable. In just a hundred years, your understanding of Electro has nearly reached my level."
"And your Cryo aura is as profound as the Tsaritsa's."
"To so effortlessly harmonize two elements…
Are you an envoy of the Heavenly Principles?"
"I am Snezhnaya's envoy," Severin replied evenly,
"and Snezhnaya's Prince."
His gaze lingered briefly on Ei's graceful figure.
The Tsaritsa was an aloof ice queen, distant and restrained.
Ei, though equally cold in demeanor, carried a loneliness that made her strangely captivating.
"Can the Heavenly Principles truly accommodate multiple elements?" Severin asked.
Ei answered slowly.
"In the past, we believed the seven elements originated from the seven elemental dragon sovereigns."
"But after witnessing the war of Khaenri'ah, we learned the truth."
"All seven elements were created by the Heavenly Principles."
"Did the Tsaritsa never tell you this?"
"Perhaps she felt there was no need," Severin replied.
"Just as you were surprised—Her Majesty likely never expected I could wield two elements either."
Now aware of Severin's identity, Ei no longer regarded him as an intruder.
She dismissed Musou Isshin and began pacing slowly.
"The Tsaritsa's ambition is to oppose the Heavenly Principles. Sending you to Inazuma was surely for the Gnosis."
"But from the moment I entered the Plane of Euthymia, the Gnosis has been entrusted to Yae Miko."
"It has long ceased to be in my possession."
Five hundred years ago, Ei had already heard the Tsaritsa speak of opposing the Heavenly Principles—and of collecting the Gnoses.
At this point, she studied Severin closely.
"You carry neither a Vision nor a Delusion," she said.
"Yet you can absorb and wield the elements of heaven and earth."
"How is that possible?"
Severin was a being that defied common sense.
There had to be a secret.
Severin countered calmly, "And you can use elemental power even without a Gnosis."
"We are not the same," Ei replied.
"I am a god by birth. You are human."
During those hundred years, she had subtly examined his lineage.
He was unquestionably human.
That was precisely why her curiosity only deepened.
"Elemental affinity," Severin said, stopping there.
Ei pondered this.
"Extreme elemental affinity is a trait usually reserved for gods."
"You possess it as a mortal…"
"Should I suspect you are the reincarnation of an ancient god?
Or perhaps… possessed by one?"
"Which ancient god," Severin asked calmly,
"could harmonize two elements?"
In his left hand, frost gathered.
In his right, lightning condensed.
Cryo and Electro fused perfectly, forming a unique, intertwined force.
This fusion ability was something Severin had obtained from the sign-in system.
Ei was visibly shaken.
She herself had attempted elemental fusion countless times—
every attempt had ended in failure.
"With you aiding her," Ei said quietly,
"the Tsaritsa's chances of opposing the Heavenly Principles increase."
"Though hope remains slim… at least now, there is a glimmer of light."
As she spoke, Ei drew out a strand of her origin essence and sent it into Severin's body.
As the God of Thunder, her understanding of Electro stood at the pinnacle.
This fragment alone would save Severin hundreds of years of cultivation in mastering Electro.
What Severin lacked most—
Was time.
Thus, Ei's gift was invaluable.
Inazuma had never openly declared alignment with Snezhnaya against the Heavenly Principles.
For Ei to offer such help was no small gesture.
Only Eternity came closest to the Heavenly Principles.
Ei's governance philosophy had always been an imitation of them—
she was, in essence, a follower of the Heavenly Principles.
Severin had once believed her to be the hardest obstacle among the Seven.
Yet today, her stance had shifted dramatically.
Of course, he understood why.
It was because he had demonstrated unparalleled potential.
Ei's assistance was both goodwill—
and a form of risk investment.
Severin did not thank her.
Instead, he gave an honest assessment.
"You are more pragmatic than the Raiden Shogun."
Ei glanced at him, but said nothing.
Severin continued.
"After debating with me, the Raiden Shogun's convictions wavered."
"If even she can be shaken, then you are no exception."
"But today, I won't repeat those arguments."
"I only want you to know this—
sealed away in the Plane of Euthymia, cut off from your people…"
"You are nothing more than a cold statue, standing above them."
His purpose had been achieved.
It was time to leave.
As he turned away, he left her with one final sentence.
"You have yet to draw out the full power of Musou Isshin."
"A trace of Makoto's will remains within it."
"When you truly understand what I said today, the blade will respond to you."
"That… is your sister's expectation of you."
His voice echoed through the Plane of Euthymia for a long time before finally fading.
Ei stared at Musou Isshin in her hands, deep in thought.
Severin was right.
She had never truly resonated with the blade—
and thus could never unleash its full power.
There had always been a gap between her and the sword, as though it had never truly belonged to her.
Only now did she understand—
The problem lay in her own ideals.
"Cut off from the people… a cold statue…"
She murmured his words again and again, sinking into confusion.
"It's been so long since I last heard the voices of the people…"
"Are they living happily? Peacefully?"
"To rule Inazuma while knowing nothing of its people…"
"If my sister were still here… she would surely be disappointed in me."
Within the Plane of Euthymia—
Violent lightning exploded across the sky.
A storm without end.
Much like the turmoil now raging within Raiden Ei's heart.
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