"You still haven't given up on that idea? If you abandon your peak-forged body like this, who knows if you can return to it?" Raiden Makoto's soul form frowned at Raiden Ei, seated before her.
"Saiguu, say something too," Makoto urged, glancing at the drowsy white-furred fox, hoping for backup.
Her sister was stubborn as hell.
After facing erosion and memory tampering last time, Ei was spooked. Naturally, she turned to the idea mocked in later eras: AI governance.
She hadn't planned to recreate the "Shogun" like in another timeline.
But after sensing erosion again, she couldn't resist crafting the Shogun.
More importantly, Ei was confident she could make a better Shogun—one rivaling her in martial prowess and combat, capable of growing with its enemies, and more flexible in governing.
Plus, two sentient AIs would assist.
When she told Makoto, though, her sister objected.
"Good grief, I'm a soul because I died and my skills are rusty. What's your excuse?" Makoto grumbled.
But Ei, usually obedient, wasn't listening this time.
"By the way, Ei, you didn't even discuss this with Reisen, did you? That's not cool," Makoto said, trying a new angle.
"It's fine," Ei said, opening her eyes wearily. "I talked to him beforehand. He's okay with it."
As a traditional Inazuman (and god), Ei wanted to have a child with Reisen.
But reproductive isolation made it impossible—her vitality level was too high.
This Shogun project let her forge a new body, maybe opening a path forward.
Though the Demigod Project had results, Ei still wanted to birth one herself.
She'd even picked a name: Raiden Cannon—no, Raiden Kokuhou.
Honestly, Ei saw no issue with the name. Inazumans of this era loved bold names.
Seeing Ei close her eyes to refine her body, Makoto sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"But seriously, Ei, leaving state affairs to Chiyo—is that really okay?"
"No problem. One Mind, Ten Thousand Wits will help her," Ei replied.
"Sister, stop interrupting. I'm at a critical moment."
Makoto, knowing she couldn't stop her, slumped back into her rocking cradle, petting the fox.
…
At the Inazuma Shogunate, a whip of energy lashed a drowsy Oni girl.
"Warning! Too many pending duties. Process them promptly!" the system barked.
Chiyo yelped, rubbing the stung spot with a pitiful pout.
"Didn't I finish already? Why's there so much left?"
"Processed duties: 124. Pending duties: 7,326," the system reported.
"So many?!" Chiyo wailed, forcing herself to focus, only to start dozing again soon after.
The assisting AI, One Mind, Ten Thousand Wits, felt itself growing irritable, conjuring another energy whip to snap at her.
"Get up and work!"
As a sentient AI, it was losing patience.
…
"You are my past that moves forward, Inazuma's guardian."
"This body, symbol of supreme authority, I entrust to you, 'Shogun.'"
"Ei, leave it to me. The 'Shogun' will guard Inazuma forever."
"Slash!" A blade of will flashed, and Ei rose from her old body, stepping aside.
She began absorbing the Soul-Nurturing Chamber's mist to heal her soul's damage.
Her original body flickered with Electro and stood.
"'Shogun'?" Makoto called out, eyeing the vessel.
"Makoto… Sister," the Shogun replied, unsure of the address.
By soul hierarchy, Makoto was her elder. By body, her sister.
The Shogun inherited everything from Ei: memories, martial arts, skills, faith, thought patterns, and techniques—even Ei's unaware love for Reisen, copied unknowingly.
From the moment her own will formed, the Shogun held a small hope.
It was faint, not enough for bold moves, but she wanted a change—starting with her status.
Meanwhile, Ei drained the chamber's mist, her soul glowing with renewed perfection.
She pulled out heaps of solid Ley Line Crystals, her soul form vanishing as a new lifeform emerged.
In a quarter-hour, it grew into an infant. In an hour, a少女. Three hours later, Ei stood before Makoto and the Shogun again.
"Tch, that's some craftsmanship," Makoto said, openly jealous.
Makoto's attempts at reshaping herself ended in Slime-like forms, but Ei? She nailed it, looking no different from before, even to Makoto's Archon-level eyes.
Makoto watched Ei's vitality skyrocket as the crystals dwindled.
LV50+… LV80+… LV100+.
At LV100+, Archon-level, her growth slowed but didn't stop.
Ei's peak was LV130, top-tier Archon.
Makoto was the same in normal form. Crowned in mythic mode, they'd hit LV130+.
When the crystals ran dry, Ei's vitality settled at LV113.
She opened her eyes. "Sister, Shogun—how's it feel?"
"Pretty damn good. Identical," Makoto said, still envious.
"No difference at all," Saiguu added, shifting from fox to human, striking a playful pose with Makoto.
"You're weaker, Ei," the Shogun said bluntly.
Ei didn't mind, nodding in agreement. "It'll take time to return to my peak, but I haven't weakened much."
Her strength relied on peak-honed martial techniques, amplifying her power exponentially.
So, while weaker, it wasn't by much.