As one of the original gods, Ei knew little about the affairs of Khaenri'ah. One could only say she was too well-protected.
Ei protected Makoto in external wars, while Makoto shielded Ei from various conspiracies. They were each other's guardians.
[Ei: "'This moment' is a fragile illusion. Only eternity is closest to Celestia!"]
["From now on, I am no longer Ei. This body is the most supreme and noble, destined to wield the authority of the world."]
["This body shall grant its people a dream!"]
["A dream of unchanging, unshakable eternity across countless generations."]
What Ei meant was this: the former emperor's work was left half-finished, collapsing midway. Now, the world is divided into seven, and Inazuma is weary and weakened. This is a critical moment for the nation's survival.
Thus, to protect Inazuma and its people, from that moment onward, she was no longer 'Ei' but 'Makoto.'
However, for the readers, this part of the story wasn't fully understood, as it didn't reveal Makoto's story or name.
Puzzled, the readers continued, and in the story, Yae Miko spoke bluntly.
["Celestia... to me, it's something incomprehensible."]
["In short, you simply want to protect your beloved Inazuma forever, don't you?"]
[Ei turned her body away, avoiding Yae Miko's gaze: "You're oversimplifying it."]
Now the readers understood. Yae Miko had hit the nail on the head! That was exactly it! Even they could now grasp the Shogun's intentions!
[Yae Miko sharply commented: "But does this nation have the value to exist eternally?"]
The people of Inazuma were full of question marks. What was going on? Why was the Guuji suddenly questioning the value of their existence? Could it be that Yae Miko was even more extreme than the Raiden Shogun?
["A nation that has lost its wishes and its ability to change, merely existing, is nothing but an empty shell."]
The people of Inazuma breathed a sigh of relief. Oh, that's what she meant. That scared them for a moment.
Yae Miko wasn't questioning Inazuma or its people but rather Ei's understanding of 'eternity.' It must be said, this was quite bold.
[Yae Miko spread her hands: "If that's the case, what does it matter if it's destroyed?"]
To say, in front of a god pursuing eternity, that her 'eternity' was meaningless and that if she protected Inazuma in such a way, its destruction wouldn't matter—such audacity!
Brave fox, unafraid of the Electro Archon.
But Miko's perspective was easy to understand. She pursued a 'people-centered' philosophy.
She believed that if humans lost their 'wishes' and their capacity for 'change,' they were as good as 'gone.' Inazuma would be nothing more than a piece of land called Inazuma—existing in name only, a hollow shell.
Lose the land but keep the people, and both can be preserved. Lose the people but keep the land, and both are lost!
Miko's boldness was such that if Signora had said those words, the Raiden Shogun would've summoned Ei on the spot, skipping the duel before the throne entirely.
[Ei turned back, her delicate brows furrowed as she looked at Yae Miko: "Miko, take back your reckless words."]
["An unchanging, unshakable eternity across countless generations—this is my promise to my people."]
This was Yae Miko, after all. If it were anyone else saying this, Ei wouldn't even bother to respond verbally; a blade would be far more convenient.
Even if she could only use words and not her blade, she'd rather bite you to death than waste her breath.
[Yae Miko, unfazed: "But what your people need isn't your promise—they want your 'gaze.'"]
[Ei: "...The Vision?"]
["Human lives last only a hundred years. They lack the strength to bear such losses."]
The people of Inazuma finally understood. Their god truly loved them, but she was a bit clueless, with emotional intelligence that was frankly lacking.
To a god, human lives were fleeting, but for humans, a hundred years was enough for earth-shattering changes!
Indeed, humans might struggle to bear loss—birth, aging, sickness, and death were always hard to accept.
But that didn't mean humans wanted to stop. Time itself wouldn't stop.
Even if their Visions—their 'wishes'—were taken away, humans wouldn't break the shackles of mortality to live a few years longer.
[Yae Miko: "...But 'eternity' is too cruel for you, Ei."]
The eternity Ei pursued was a 'static eternity,' meaning she herself would not move forward.
From the moment she entered the Oneiric Euthymia, Ei had trapped herself in the past, in the darkest period of her life.
This was why the 'Oneiric Euthymia,' her mental space, was so dim.
That's why Yae Miko said such an 'eternity' was too cruel for her.
It was as if she had locked herself in her most painful moments, replaying them in her 'bed' while silently shedding tiny pearls of tears.
Ei's actions were like wounding the enemy a thousand times while damaging herself eight hundred—no, there was no enemy wounded. It was wounding her friends a thousand times and destroying herself eight hundred.
[Yae Miko: "If you don't move forward, you'll miss out on so much... By remaining still until eternity, aren't you also losing things?"]
["You endure such loneliness, yet for the sake of eternity, you stretch that loneliness across an infinite timescale..."]
"Stretching loneliness... infinitely..." Furina froze. How could this hit her so hard? Now she was going to deeply empathize.
The Raiden Shogun endured loneliness for Inazuma's eternity, just as Furina endured loneliness for Fontaine's fate.
The difference was that Ei couldn't let go, while Furina made her choice with clarity.
But the good news was that, in the story, Ei's inner 'sky' was illuminated, just like Furina's in reality.
The Oneiric Euthymia was Ei's inner world, and its illumination meant her heart was lit up. Though it wasn't visible on her face, Ei was actually quite happy.
This was the downside of pulling someone into the Oneiric Euthymia—inner thoughts couldn't be hidden here. Like a beast-eared maiden, no matter how stoic her expression, her tail would betray her.
[Yae Miko noticed this: "So... you're actually happy to see me again, aren't you? You've long been unable to bear the loneliness of this place, right~?"]
[Ei closed her eyes, refusing to admit it: "I... have nothing to say."]
People thought the Electro Archon was only 'proud,' but upon entering her heart, they realized she also hid a 'delicate' side.
Moreover, the Oneiric Euthymia didn't start 'brightening' when Yae Miko appeared, but when the wishes emerged.
This showed that, in Ei's heart, she was already convinced the moment she heard her people's wishes. Miko was merely giving her a way out by playing the emotional card.
But Ei's contrast truly helped readers understand this god better.
They had thought the Electro Archon was an emotionless 'machine,' but now she felt like a 'person' with emotions.
Some readers, already tempted to 'defect' to the Electro Archon's side, grew even more swayed. But they could hold out a bit longer—at least until the Shogun showed some change before 'defecting.'
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Character Voice · Raiden Ei: About Lucian · First Meeting
"Impressive strength, but... such a strange weapon and terrible technique. As a martial artist, I can't stand seeing someone with raw power but no skill. I'll teach him myself."