In front of the Realm of Consciousness.
Ei stood still, gazing at the torii gate before her.
After carefully examining it for a moment, she finally let out a small sigh of relief — there were no signs of damage here.
However, when she extended her elemental sense, she realized something unsettling — the Guuji's elemental energy had surged dramatically.
That level of power… wasn't hers.
Even if Ei had been in seclusion for a long time, it was impossible for Yae Miko to have made such a massive leap in strength within that short span.
It seemed that the Guuji had obtained something strange.
And that "something"… came from that Traveler.
Setting aside that troubling thought for now, Ei stepped up to the torii and opened the entrance to the Realm of Consciousness, stepping inside.
Catching the culprit wasn't urgent.
In Inazuma, as long as she could link to the ley lines, distance was meaningless — she could appear anywhere in the blink of an eye.
She didn't believe that Miko and her companions could leave Inazuma in such a short time anyway.
The priority now was to make sure that the Realm of Consciousness itself was unharmed — and then speak with the puppet within.
It had been a long time since Ei last returned here. As her eyes wandered, she felt a faint trace of nostalgia.
The signs of battle were clear; residual Electro energy still lingered in the air, unmistakably that of the Raiden Shogun.
Yet… the fragile, crumbling space had somehow survived.
Before her, a flash of violet light appeared — the figure of the Raiden Shogun materialized.
"You've come," the puppet said softly.
Ei nodded, going straight to the point.
"What happened here?"
The Shogun was silent for a moment before replying in a calm, low voice.
"The variable to Eternity has arrived.
The greatest heresy — the one who will destroy Eternity.
You must eliminate it."
Ei frowned slightly, her tone deepening.
"I asked what happened here. As for this 'variable,' I will deal with it myself."
At her words, the Raiden Shogun met Ei's gaze steadily, then spoke again.
"Kamisato Ayaka and a Traveler came here earlier. I don't know what they did.
I fought that Traveler.
Strangely, her strength wasn't particularly great — but she carried a bizarre staff.
That staff could activate spells on its own."
"Spells unlike the elemental power of Teyvat.
One was a kind of shield — even when I used my full strength, I could only break one layer of it.
Another was a strange spell that blinded even me when it was released.
And that Traveler… had no Vision, yet could control three different elements."
"Everything about her was… abnormal."
Ei's brows furrowed tightly — the words sounded almost absurd.
But she knew the puppet could not lie.
It wasn't within her programming.
Given what she knew about the Traveler's background, Ei found her even more suspicious now.
Still, that wasn't her main concern at this moment.
Did they take Miko away?
Or… did Miko leave with them willingly?
Either way — Ei had to find her.
That was her last friend.
Ei would never allow anything to happen to the Guuji.
"What exactly did they do here?" she asked at last.
The Shogun shook her head.
"I'm not sure. But it seemed they brought something belonging to Yae Miko. They came here… searching for something."
"You must eliminate this variable quickly, and preserve Inazuma's Eternity."
The same words again — over and over.
Ei's expression darkened; her mood was already foul, and hearing that refrain only made it worse.
"No need for you to remind me!" she snapped.
After carefully checking the Realm of Consciousness once more and confirming there were no anomalies, Ei turned and left.
The Raiden Shogun watched her vanish in silence.
After a long pause, her voice echoed faintly in the empty space—
"Do you still hold to your old resolve toward Eternity...?"
"Ei, I will be your final defense — and your correction."
"Only Eternity… is absolute."
Leaving the Realm of Consciousness, Ei immediately linked herself to Inazuma's ley lines.
But after scanning them carefully for a long while, she found no trace of the Guuji or her companions.
That was strange.
By all logic, as long as they remained within the islands of Inazuma, there was nowhere she could not see.
Had they… already fled to the sea?
Just as that thought crossed her mind, a disturbance rippled through the massive thunderstorm that blanketed Inazuma.
Someone was forcing their way through the storm.
Ei froze for an instant, then focused her will upon the thunderclouds.
What she saw made her expression harden.
Miko and the others — somehow — had managed to summon three dragons, and were flying at incredible speed toward Liyue.
"Miko…" Ei's face darkened.
"So you did leave willingly!"
A flood of sorrow and rage, the sting of betrayal, surged through her chest.
Her body flashed with violet light as she transformed into lightning itself, storm clouds gathering around her as she sped toward the sea.
Meanwhile, within the storm, Lumine and the others could clearly sense the change — the thunder around them was becoming even more violent.
Countless bolts of lightning, almost as if they had eyes, began striking straight toward them.
"She's found us!" Lumine's heart trembled.
She immediately released the last of the three dragons she had prepared.
Her mind linked with the dragons, commanding them to unleash torrents of dragonfire to intercept the descending bolts.
"Ayaka, faster! The Raiden Shogun is catching up!" Lumine shouted anxiously, slapping the dragon beneath her.
The already lightning-fast dragon gave a sharp roar, pushing its speed even higher — the air behind it tore open, leaving streaks of brilliance as they shot forward.
The thunderstorm Ei had summoned was truly terrifying — a nightmare for mortals and even for the gods of Teyvat.
But for dragons, it was a different story.
This wasn't lightning Ei was directly controlling — merely thunder she was guiding.
Unconscious, instinctive lightning could still be diverted.
The dragons tore through the storm effortlessly.
None of the three spoke.
Truth be told, they weren't sure if they could escape before Ei reached them.
At this point — they were gambling with their lives.