After taking a moment, Ganyu composed herself and spoke softly:
"So… the situation in Inazuma is still very serious. It can't be resolved easily, can it?"
Hearing this, Miko also became serious.
After a brief silence, she nodded with a troubled expression.
"Ei's obsession runs too deep…"
"When Sasayuri and the others died in battle, Ei had already begun contemplating eternity."
Just then, Jean raised her hand and spoke softly:
"Sorry to interrupt. But from what I know, in ancient times, Inazuma also pursued the concept of eternity, right?"
"Mondstadt values freedom, Liyue values contracts, Sumeru values wisdom, and Inazuma values eternity."
"So even during the era of Baal, she was still pursuing eternity."
Miko nodded.
There was no reason to doubt this.
Every nation has its own principles.
While a god's power derives from their element, their essence is not solely defined by elemental energy.
Makoto and Ei, the two sisters, have always adhered to eternity—that much is unquestionable.
And this is not something that can simply change on a whim.
"The root cause," Miko continued, "is that Makoto's idea of eternity and Ei's are different."
She sighed softly:
"Makoto believes in a gentle, encompassing eternity, not an extreme one."
"Ephemeral fireworks, endless ocean waves, civilizations that endure for millennia—all are expressions of eternity."
"Even fleeting glimmers of light are eternity's thunder."
"Makoto once told me that even if Inazuma were to fall one day, as long as the bloodline of its people remains and its civilization is remembered, then Inazuma is eternal."
"Her way of thinking has always been ahead of everyone else. She cares for her people and treats everything in the world with kindness."
"In her eyes, the Narukami are eternal, the roadside crystal butterflies are eternal. Eternity is a pursuit, a continuous upward striving."
"But Ei…"
Miko paused, her voice tinged with regret:
"Her concept of eternity is too narrow. She walked into a dead end."
"Ei hates separation. The deaths of Sasayuri and the others sounded alarm bells for her."
"Over thousands of years, friends and comrades passed away. Ei realized that even rocks erode, and she never truly reached eternity."
"Until… Makoto fell on the Khaenri'ah battlefield."
"That was the most important person in Ei's life. Makoto was everything to her."
"Day after day, year after year, Ei lived as Makoto's shadow. Then, suddenly, Makoto was gone."
"From that moment, Ei made a decision."
"She said that fleeting eternity is not true eternity."
"Only an unchanging eternity is the path Inazuma must take, the only way to prevent tragedy."
"What Ei wants is for Inazuma to remain as it is now, no matter what happens outside."
"She fears losing the last treasure Makoto left behind—Inazuma itself."
"So Ei, like a wounded and lonely little girl, curled up by herself, isolated herself, and tried to constrain all of Inazuma according to her imagined path."
"She believed that maintaining unchangeability would grant her people eternal stability."
"But in this world… what truly remains unchanged?"
Miko let out a bitter smile, lowering her head with melancholy.
Everyone else's thoughts were complicated as well, especially Zhongli. Ei's situation reminded him of much.
Losing friends, losing family, losing everything…
But Zhongli endured; Ei could not…
Zhongli sighed softly.
"It's understandable. For thousands of years, Baal stood before Beelzebul."
"Beelzebul seemed like Baal's shadow, Baal's sword, protecting her."
"But in reality, Baal shielded Beelzebul from all outside troubles. She was a good sister and a good Raiden Shogun."
"But precisely because of that, Beelzebul did not understand the difference between being a shadow warrior and being the Raiden Shogun."
"She cannot govern, nor hear the voice of the people."
"There is fault on Baal's part, and fault on Beelzebul's part, but their deeds and mistakes are hard to judge…"
"I myself have made many mistakes. When Baal rushed to the battlefield, inexperienced in combat as she was, it was naturally difficult for her to withstand such a dire situation."
"She didn't have time to instruct Beelzebul… Had there been more time, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way."
"In the end, it seems the root cause still comes from Celestia…"
"If the Khaenri'ah incident hadn't happened, maybe we wouldn't have…"
The group fell into a quiet silence.
The Khaenri'ah incident was a thorn in the hearts of the Seven Gods and Seven Nations.
Because of Khaenri'ah, the seven nations suffered unimaginable upheaval.
But…
Did the Seven Gods do wrong? They were summoned forcibly by Celestia; refusal would have meant the next snow-capped nation was theirs.
Was Khaenri'ah wrong? They wanted to live and explore a broader world.
A world without gods reflects human will and human nature—curiosity and exploration of the unknown.
Was Celestia wrong? She didn't want Teyvat exposed, didn't want it subjected to unprovoked shocks.
It seemed that no one was truly at fault, yet from each other's perspective, the other appeared to be the villain.
Who can really say?
Thus, Ryen never concerns himself with right or wrong. He only has a stance, interests, and emotions.
What he has always upheld is his truth.
Extreme selfishness, relatively speaking, allows one to survive better in such a complicated world.
"Ei secluded herself in the Plane of Pure Intent and no longer saw anyone. Over these years, she committed many wrongs," Miko said softly.
"She turned her divine body into a puppet, letting the Raiden Shogun manage the nation while she resisted the wear and tear herself."
"She ignored the bloodshed of war, convincing herself it was a necessary sacrifice for eternity."
"She did not understand the true duty of being a god."
"But… it doesn't matter anymore."
Miko took a deep breath, her eyes filled with expectation as she looked at Ryen.
"As long as Makoto is revived! Everything will be fine!"
~~----------------------
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