Paimon poked her own cheek.
"Raiden… Kunikuzushi…"
"Raiden… Shogun…"
"Raiden…"
"Ah! Could it be…?!"
Yae Miko poured herself a cup of tea.
"Looks like little Paimon's finally caught on."
"That's right. Whether it's the Raiden Shogun or Kunikuzushi, they are both creations of her."
"To preserve the 'self,' the real Raiden Shogun has immersed herself in endless meditation within the Plane of Euthymia."
"Her true name… is Ei."
"Raiden Ei~"
Paimon clamped her hands over her mouth in shock.
"You mean the Raiden Shogun currently ruling Inazuma and the one we saw during the ritual are just… a puppet?!"
Lumine scratched her head.
"But why go through all that trouble?"
Yae Miko sipped her tea.
"That's precisely her version of 'Eternity.'"
"Before seeking eternity for the nation, one must first attain eternity oneself."
"The mortal body inevitably returns to dust, so she created a puppet to stand in her place."
"The mind, too, erodes with time—so she sealed her consciousness within her blade, hoping to escape all worldly distractions through meditation."
"Ah! I remember now!"
Lumine sat upright.
"Back then, the Raiden Shogun tried to pull us into some kind of space… but Shajin intervened and took us away. Could that space be…"
Yae Miko clapped her hands.
"The Plane of Euthymia, a realm identical to her inner world—one that allows for the existence of self alone."
"Shut inside a world of her own making, the outside chaos is left to be handled by the puppet that relentlessly chases eternity…"
"This… is the path Ei has chosen to seek true Eternity."
Lumine clicked her tongue.
"It's just like Liyue and Mondstadt—the gods all handing off their responsibilities. The Anemo Archon's gone, and the Geo Archon faked his death."
"You're referring to Morax and Barbatos, right? It's been a while—so they've made such decisions? As expected, all of them are rather… interesting gods."
Lumine stood up.
"But the Raiden Shogun's approach does seem effective at preventing the kind of chaos a godless nation might face."
"Heh… perhaps. But don't you think it's a bit like a child throwing a tantrum and locking herself in her room?"
"The Anemo Archon's absence hasn't caused much unrest. And Liyue, despite losing its Geo Archon, still has Shajin. That one is far freer than old Rex Lapis ever was~"
"And besides, this so-called 'Eternity' has already warped into what she merely believes to be Eternity."
"In the end… it's just fear. Fear of losing."
Lumine's brow furrowed slightly, waves of doubt churning in her heart, tinged with growing frustration.
She'd listened to Miko for so long, yet her words remained shrouded in fog. Nothing she said gave her a clear direction or purpose.
She could no longer hold back.
"So after all this—what exactly do you need me to do?" Her voice carried the cry of her soul, tinged with urgency and discontent.
Hearing this, Yae Miko's usual teasing smile faded, replaced by a solemn, sincere expression.
She locked eyes with Lumine and said earnestly, "Traveler, do you still wish to save the people of Inazuma from their suffering?"
Lumine lowered her head, weighed down with a heavy heart, the words of Shajin echoing endlessly in her mind:
"Your world line is converging."
That phrase felt like a mountain crushing his chest, suffocating her.
She couldn't help but wonder—was her fate truly already set in stone, impossible to change?
Was she truly bound to walk this predetermined path, no matter how hard she struggled?
The thought left her adrift in uncertainty and helplessness. Her heart was lost in thick fog, unsure of the way forward.
If everything had already been decided, then what meaning did this long journey hold?
Were all her efforts merely in vain?
She fell into deep self-doubt, conflicted and torn.
Paimon stood silently beside her, watching without saying a word.
She knew Lumine needed time to think—to decide for herself.
Her gaze held quiet understanding and unwavering faith.
She believed Lumine would find her answer.
After a long pause, Lumine's eyes slowly regained their clarity.
She raised her head and looked at Yae Miko, nodding with determination.
"Yeah. I want to."
The words rang out like a vow from the depths of her heart, brimming with strength and resolve.
"Whatever world line convergence means, I'll just be myself!"
Lumine said to herself.
She had decided—no longer would she be bound by chains of fate, no longer would she be shackled by doubt and confusion.
She would do what she wanted—until the very end.
Yae Miko smiled.
"I see. How admirable. Then it seems… we stand on the same side."
"You wish to save the people of Inazuma—and so do I. Except, I also want to save the nation itself… and her."
"And the key lies in this—if the Plane of Euthymia is also a reflection of Ei's heart, then defeating her there might just allow us to alter the Raiden Shogun's will."
Lumine considered this.
"You're saying… it's not about arguing with her, nor about a coup using the resistance—but about changing her heart directly?"
Yae Miko nodded with a smile.
"You catch on quickly. This is the only method we have left—before Inazuma sinks into the darkness of 'Eternity' forever."
"You are… unique, Lumine. So unique even I can scarcely believe it. I once told you—the Plane of Euthymia is a realm where only the self exists. But the fact that you and Shajin were able to see it, even enter it, means…"
"…She's interested in you. Deeply. Perhaps… she's never encountered an individual so 'unstable' in the face of her so-called 'Eternity.'"
Lumine tilted her head, puzzled.
"You mean no one's ever been in there before?"
"Not since that eternal devotee began shutting herself away. No one's ever entered. No one even knows what that space truly looks like."
"Your presence isn't just a catalyst—it's a key. You haven't disappointed me, little one."
_
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