"You've lost, Ei."
With her arms crossed, Yae Miko walked lightly toward the Archon who was struggling to stand, her steps playful yet graceful.
It wasn't that she was happy to see her best friend get beaten—it was the expression on Ei's face that excited her.
That flicker of confusion and hesitation was exactly what she wanted to see.
This duel—where faith itself was the blade—had achieved its purpose.
Nagami's sword, forged from the collective wishes of countless people, had sliced open the sealed doors of Ei's heart.
The decayed gates within the Plane of Euthymia began to crumble, disintegrating into golden particles under the fading light.
"Why can't you believe in the power of people's wishes?" Yae Miko asked, her teasing smile fading into a rare seriousness. "The power of wishes transcends distance, time, and even space. It's something no one can ever destroy."
Still, a question lingered in her mind—where did Nagami find so many powerful, heartfelt wishes?
[Nagami]: When people give their all and move forward… their next ten-pull still goes off-banner.
Hearing Yae praise the power of those wishes, Lumine who heard him couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Hands on her hips, Lumine squinted slightly, eyeing the fox-eared "holy scabbard" with suspicion.
Nagami's voice was calm, yet filled with quiet conviction.
"Losing wishes, losing change, losing drive… A civilization that merely exists becomes nothing but an empty shell. Do you truly believe that's worth protecting?"
She stepped closer to Ei, meeting her complicated gaze, then spun her sword once, flicking away the lingering fragments of wish-energy that clung to the blade.
Holding Dreams and Unity before her, Nagami let the power of the void resonate through the rift Lumine had opened, harmonizing with the thousand eyes of the divine statue.
That shared will flowed into the sword, and the golden light flared once again.
Nagami extended the shining blade toward the stunned Ei.
"Come on, try seeing it from another angle."
Releasing control of the void energy, she let Ei feel the pure brilliance—the very light forged from the collective dreams of humanity.
"You've given your people an unchanging eternity," Nagami said softly. "But have you ever wondered… is that truly what they want?"
"What they seek from the Archon who has guided Inazuma to this day…"
As Nagami let go, Dreams and Unity seemed to respond on its own.
The sword burst into radiant light, soaring back into Ei's hand like it had heard its master's call.
The moment Ei gripped the familiar weapon, her violet eyes widened in shock—
[To become the greatest swordsman in the world.]
[To reach the edge of the Ashen Sea.]
[To find a cure for my daughter.]
[To see pure white snow with my own eyes.]
…
[To abolish the Vision Hunt Decree!]
Countless genuine wishes echoed through her mind, like raindrops striking still water, rippling endlessly through her heart.
In that moment, Ei finally understood why her sister had named the sword Dreams and Unity.
It was meant to witness a land as beautiful as a dream—an Inazuma filled with hearts both noble and alive.
It was a vessel, made to carry the collective hopes and desires of the people.
"They… want my attention?" she murmured—half in wonder, half in realization.
Her gaze fell on Nagami's open palm, where the Electro Gnosis pulsed faintly.
Ei reached out to touch it—but Nagami snatched her hand back, pulling the Gnosis away like a child hiding a toy from a friend.
"Ahem. Well, you could also call it recognition," Nagami said, coughing lightly. "When people's wills burn bright enough, the Archons acknowledge them. That's when a Vision is born."
Ignoring Ei's dumbfounded expression, Nagami casually tossed the Gnosis back into Lumine's rift.
'Seriously, I only brought it out to snap her out of that funk. Did she really think I was giving it back?'
This thing's mine now—unless she's willing to trade Dreams and Unity's scabbard for it.
"Let me guess," Nagami continued. "You thought that because you've 'experienced everything,' you needed to guide mortals away from the pain of loss… that's why you wanted to lead them to your so-called Eternity, right?"
"What's wrong with that?" Ei shot back, defensive but with a hint of hurt in her voice.
"Even Zhongli wouldn't dare to think that way—and he's way older than you!"
The fox and the Archon both froze, eyes wide, as the golden-haired traveler—who'd been quietly standing behind Nagami the entire time—burst into laughter.
Her usual innocent look was gone, replaced by a serene, knowing smile.
Yet that simple smile carried the weight of countless ages, and her amber eyes seemed deep enough to drown Archons themselves.
"You still have a long way to go, little one," she said softly, her tone both warm and teasing. "Such a cute girl."
"Traveler… you—!"
Both Ei and Yae Miko froze for a moment, struck silent by the aura radiating from Lumine—an air that only the passage of countless years could forge.
Of all the Archons Ei had met in her long life, none had ever possessed that weight of time.
Even Yae Miko found herself at a rare loss for words, her instincts screaming that this girl before them was no ordinary traveler.
But before either could react, in less than the blink of an eye—
The golden-haired girl bounced playfully to Nagami's side, slipping her small hand into his as naturally as breathing.
Her movement was light and ethereal, like a fairy untouched by the world. In that instant, she looked every bit the lively, innocent seventeen-year-old she appeared to be.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Lumine asked sweetly, tilting her head with that same adorable smile.
That expression made Yae Miko's lips twitch uncontrollably.
'Good grief… these two are definitely not normal.'
She thought back to how she'd once teasingly called Lumine "little one" and tried to flirt with her.
Now, realizing what kind of beings she might've been messing with, Yae could only sigh deeply and glance toward her old friend.
"Not only that, Ei," Yae said softly, her tone filled with quiet reproach. "This so-called eternity of yours is far too cruel.
You've stopped watching over your people—and even stopped watching over yourself. All these centuries you've sealed yourself away in the Plane of Euthymia, staring at a never-changing horizon… hasn't that been a kind of loss, too?"
"Tell me, why was the sky once so dark and heavy—yet now, it's filled with countless stars?"
It should've been her turn to speak wisdom, yet Yae found she didn't need to say much anymore.
Nagami had already done far more than she'd ever expected—he'd reached into Ei's heart and opened it, with the help of all those human wishes echoing within her.
"I… have nothing more to say," Ei murmured, her lips pressed tightly together, mind swirling in chaos. "But since you've defeated me here, I will abolish the Vision Hunt Decree… and the Sakoku Decree."
"However… as for eternity, and the future of Inazuma…"
Her delicate arm lifted, hesitation flickering across her elegant, mature face.
"Now that's more like it," Nagami interrupted cheerfully, clapping his hands. "Admitting your mistakes and making things right—that's what a good girl does."
'Good girl?' Ei blinked, stunned.
She hadn't been called a child in centuries.
Was Nagami… truly some ancient being beyond her understanding?
Then she remembered that aura that had just radiated from Lumine—something ancient, cosmic, older than any world she knew—and her heart skipped a beat.
If Nagami was connected to that, then perhaps… it wasn't impossible.
"Then tell me, Nagami," Ei asked seriously, her voice steady again, "what does eternity mean to you?"
Yae Miko raised an eyebrow in surprise. For Ei—the Archon of Eternity—to ask someone else such a question?
That alone was shocking.
But curiosity quickly followed, and she turned her gaze toward Nagami as well.
"Eternity, huh?" Nagami said with a faint smile. "In Liyue's words… it would be something like this."
His eyes softened as he looked into Ei's violet gaze.
"When seen through the lens of change, even heaven and earth cannot last a single instant. But when seen through the lens of stillness, both the world and I… are endless."
Ei's eyes widened slightly as she repeated the words under her breath.
As an Archon, she could understand their meaning—but not fully grasp their truth.
Still… for him to speak like that, with such depth—perhaps it wasn't so bad being called a child by someone like him.
"Ei," Nagami said suddenly, stepping forward as he released Lumine's soft hand, a mysterious smile curving on his lips. "How about we make a deal?"
"...A deal?" Ei asked cautiously, her wariness returning.
"Yes. Promise me three things," he said calmly. "And in return… we can bring back your sister—Raiden Makoto."
Ei's eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat.
"Resurrect her."
The word fell from his lips like a thunderclap— and even the Archon of eternity herself could not believe what she had just heard.