What's going on? Isn't it supposed to be the Eternity of Stillness? How did Inazuma's people "evolve" without me knowing?
And this direction of evolution… it's hard to even comment on. Which Shogunate soldier did this?
Thoma stared directly at the Raiden Shogun, desperately hoping she'd make a quip or at least say something harsh.
But the current Shogun was the puppet Shogun, the epitome of enduring what ordinary people couldn't.
She was the type who could watch a horror movie, see a thunder cannon scare someone to tears, and still keep a straight face.
Trained professionally, she wouldn't laugh no matter how funny something was—unless she couldn't hold it in.
This time, she held it in. The Raiden Shogun said nothing, passing Thoma's position while subtly keeping some distance, heading straight toward the Statue of the Omnipresent God.
However, as she walked, the Raiden Shogun calmly glanced at the surrounding crowd. Why did these people harbor such strong hostility?
Although she noticed something was off, she didn't care and continued steadily with the "Vision Hunt Ceremony."
For one, the procedure was set this way. Even without a procedure, she wouldn't care about the hostility of mere mortals—they weren't enough to threaten Eternity.
This was within Lucian's expectations. He knew the Raiden Shogun would notice the anomaly, but he also knew, given her personality, she wouldn't care about it.
The Shogun could even sense that among the crowd was someone with remarkable strength—Lucian—but she still didn't care.
In her judgment, Lucian didn't pose a threat to "Eternity."
She only assessed Lucian's strength, not his identity. After all, she definitely hadn't seen any interviews about the Prophet.
Even if she had, Lucian didn't show his face in those interviews—he couldn't, not until he had a million followers.
So, even if Lucian dropped his pants now and performed a "moonlit bird stroll," the Raiden Shogun wouldn't care. She'd just calmly draw her sword and slice the bird.
With her cold demeanor, even if she found two people "doing it" in a grove, she wouldn't bat an eye.
To get her attention, they'd have to be discussing "Eternity" in that grove—then she'd listen.
She'd check if they were talking about anything detrimental to Eternity. If it was, they'd better not speak.
The Raiden Shogun ascended the platform and looked back at Thoma.
Admittedly, Thoma's appearance was a bit… distinctive, eye-catching even. Even the Raiden Shogun "loaded" for a moment.
After "loading," she extended her hand, and the Vision flew from Thoma's waist under her guidance.
By the story's logic, this is when the Traveler should make her "heroic entrance."
But in reality, the Traveler, having just finished devouring her skewers, hadn't arrived yet.
The Vision landed directly in the Raiden Shogun's hand, which caught many by surprise.
Where's the Traveler? Save him! Where the heck are you? The Traveler's still out farming!? The Vision's about to be gone, and you're still farming!?
Thoma looked at Lucian with an innocent expression, thinking, "Brother, what's going on? This isn't the script, is it?"
I've already sacrificed so much, don't drop the ball at the critical moment!
Lucian pretended not to see Thoma's expression. Everything was still within the plan—a slight deviation was fine.
The Raiden Shogun didn't care either way. She tossed the Vision, and under her electro guidance, it was about to embed into the statue.
Just then, a bolt of lightning struck the Vision, knocking it down. A yellow flash passed, and the Vision vanished.
Lumine, transformed into a yellow flash, zipped to Thoma's side in a few blinks, facing the Raiden Shogun directly.
"Am I late?" Lumine asked, holding a bamboo skewer, making a dazzling entrance.
Her voice was muffled, as if she hadn't fully swallowed her food.
The Raiden Shogun looked at the Traveler calmly. She could've stopped her but chose not to.
If she didn't stop her then, she could just strike her down now—same result, no rush.
More importantly, deep down, she was curious about this Traveler. As an "exception to Eternity," the inner self wanted to meet her, so the Raiden Shogun held back.
The Raiden Shogun thought it was time to awaken her inner self.
She didn't act immediately. Seeing her unmoving, the Traveler adhered to the principle of "if the enemy doesn't move, I don't move."
Glancing back at Thoma, she planned to untie him and return his Vision.
But when she turned, she saw Thoma's Asian-style binding and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Pfft, hahahaha, Thoma, what kind of fetish is this?" Lumine struggled to start untying him.
Bound like this, it's really awkward for a young lady like me to handle. Lucian, you jerk, you did this on purpose!
Lumine cracked the case in a second, instantly identifying the mastermind.
If it were Lucian tied up here, she'd want to give him a couple of smacks right now, maybe even call Signora over to join in.
This is too much! Binding Thoma like this in front of so many people is one thing.
But expecting a young lady like me to untie him? That's a bit excessive, isn't it?
If I do it, I look like a pervert. If I don't, I'm not being a good friend.
To do or not to do—that's the dilemma. It's like being torn between loyalty and duty!
"Traveler, wait for me~!" Paimon called from a distance, her voice arriving before she did, also muffled as if her mouth was full.
Lumine ignored Paimon, shooting a fierce glare at Lucian. That single glance was caught by Raiden Ei.
That's right—it was no longer the Raiden Shogun but Raiden Ei. Behind her, a ring of lightning flickered—the Eye of Baleful Omen opened, inescapable!
"Enemy of Eternity!" Raiden Ei's voice was cold, the "Eye of Baleful Omen" behind her seeming to "widen," enveloping the surrounding space.
Lumine raised her sword warily, knowing she was about to be pulled into the Plane of Euthymia by Ei.
But that was fine—it meant everything was going according to plan. Next, she'd face and defeat the Raiden Shogun in the Plane of Euthymia.
Sure enough, the Eye of Baleful Omen's darkness spread, engulfing the entire scene. When the darkness dissipated, the Statue of the Omnipresent God was gone, leaving only a vivid red torii gate and a dim sky.
Raiden Ei sat cross-legged in midair, slowly opening her eyes, a flash of lightning glinting in them.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice: Traveler – About Lucian · Inazuma
Lumine: "That Lucian guy's getting more and more perverse!"
Paimon: "Huh? What's wrong?"
Lumine: "Oh, Paimon didn't see it. Never mind, I won't corrupt the kid."
"Anyway, next time… cough, I'm kinda looking forward to what he'll do next."
"I guess Paimon shouldn't come along next time either—it might corrupt the kid."
Paimon: "Hmph, you guys are isolating me!"