Make haste—head for Liyue," said Yae Miko calmly. "No matter how stubborn Ei is, she wouldn't dare act recklessly on Morax's territory."
Lumine curled her lips.
"Can't stop her? I'm not so sure about that."
"Let's make a bet, Miko—what if I can block that strike?"
Miko raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in her eyes.
"So this is the confidence of the Traveler? Outsiders truly do carry some mystery about them."
"I can tell—you've lost much of your power. In your prime, perhaps you could stop it. But now... Go, little one. There's no need to throw your life away."
"When you bring Makoto back, when the real one returns, she'll definitely give Ei the punishment she deserves. That'll be enough to vent my anger!"
For some reason, Lumine felt a spark of the same fury she'd once felt when the Sustainer of Celestia tore her and her brother apart. That feeling—once was enough. Never again!
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Paimon quietly handing the Peacock Feather Fan to Ayaka.
Lumine straightened, staff in hand, and faced Ei with defiant pride.
"I'm standing right here—come at me if you dare!"
"Arrogant!"
Ei's eyes turned cold as she slashed down her blade.
Countless bolts of lightning fused into a single, sky-splitting strike, cleaving downward toward Lumine.
A suffocating sense of death swept over her—just like when she had once faced the Sustainer.
Every fiber of her being screamed the same warning: You can't block this strike.
But Lumine chose to trust Ryen. He had said the Lich Barrier could forcibly negate any damage.
As the thunderstorm crashed down, Lumine was struck directly by the descending blade.
The overwhelming surge of lightning and sword intent split the ocean clean in two.
Miko froze, lowering her head with a hint of melancholy.
That slash...
How could Lumine possibly withstand it?
To be honest, Miko had come to rather like that bold little traveler.
But now... even if she had a Totem of Undying, even if death here meant revival in another world, it was still a death.
And the grudge between them was now set in stone.
Inazuma was heading for serious trouble—
Three nations pressing in, the Abyss Order running rampant…
How could Inazuma withstand all that?
Yet just as Miko was worrying, a familiar voice rang out—
"Ayaka! Now!"
The tone was firm and full of life—clearly, that devastating strike hadn't harmed Lumine in the slightest.
Totem of Undying?
Miko blinked, thinking that must've been it—the totem had saved her.
But Ei stood there, utterly stunned.
For so many years, no one had ever survived the Musou no Hitotachi—no one except Morax himself.
Before Ei could even react, Ayaka appeared silently behind her, wielding a massive fan.
"General, my apologies!"
She swung the fan boldly, unleashing a sudden gust of wind. Normally, after experiencing Venti's winds, this would barely be a tickle—but strangely, some force seemed to act on the laws themselves.
Ei's entire body was uncontrollably flung backward, covering a great distance.
"Go, go!"
Lumine leapt back onto the dragon's back and urged her.
It was only then that Yae Miko noticed: none of Lumine's Totems of Undying had broken. Only one shield had been lost.
She used a shield… to block Musou no Hitotachi?
Was that even possible? Even Morax's jade shield wouldn't claim such durability.
Miko stared at Lumine, utterly dumbfounded.
Lumine hurriedly explained:
"It's the Lich Barrier spell! I'll explain everything once we're clear of here!"
The six dragons surged toward the distant boundary at full speed.
Ei glanced at herself, confused.
The wind hadn't even stirred her clothes—but somehow, she'd been flung hundreds of meters backward, completely out of control.
What just happened?
Ei's mind was a fog, but she saw Lumine taking advantage of the moment to almost leave Inazuma's waters. Pushing her confusion aside, she transformed once again into lightning and pursued them.
"No matter what… leave Yae Miko behind!"
Lightning flared, and she struck again.
Compared to the Musou no Hitotachi earlier, this strike was weaker.
Clearly, even Ei couldn't continuously use that overwhelming power.
Yet even this weakened slash wasn't something Lumine could withstand.
But the Lich Barrier shield was still active!
Lumine leapt, again taking the full force of the strike herself.
"Ayaka!"
No sooner had she shouted than another fierce gust of wind hit, sending Ei flying far once more.
Ayaka held the Peacock Feather Fan, surprised at its raw strength.
She had never imagined it could be this powerful—its force defied all worldly logic.
Still, she felt embarrassed.
Even if Ei wasn't harmed, she had still attacked her own deity.
As an Inazuman, striking her nation's god weighed heavily on her conscience.
"Forgive me, General… but I had to do this!"
"This is for Inazuma. Once everything is resolved, I will come and make amends properly."
Watching Ei get flung away again, Ayaka lowered her head, guilt weighing on her.
"Stop dawdling, Ayaka! Move!"
Lumine, riding her dragon, shouted as she passed by.
Ayaka drew a deep breath, steadied her mind, turned in the right direction, and swiftly followed Lumine.