This was the very definition of the "mom sees it and wants to beat him" type.
In truth, "The Balladeer" was the Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers—Scaramouche. Like the Raiden Shogun, he was a highly intelligent puppet created by Ei using Khaenri'ah technology, with his own thinking patterns and style.
The only difference: The Balladeer was a "byproduct" from the Shogun's creation.
That was why Ei never disciplined him.
Deep down, she felt she owed the child.
She hadn't expected he would go to Snezhnaya and become the Sixth Harbinger—Scaramouche.
When she saw Scaramouche ambush the Traveler, Ei narrowed her eyes.
Watching a puppet she created become so deranged, Ei suddenly wanted to draw her blade.
But even if she wanted to, she couldn't change anything inside the video.
The Traveler, in the final second before losing consciousness, saw the pink-haired Guuji strolling over.
"Miko?"
By now, much had surpassed Ei's control.
Yet seeing her familiar appear here was still unexpected.
Miko appearing now… what was she trying to do?
"Could it be she has another plan?"
Because of earlier buildup, Ei already knew the flaws of the decrees. She also knew the Yashiro Commission and others weren't truly betraying Electro Archon—yet now seeing Miko, she felt ominous.
Was her familiar going to betray her too?
Sure enough.
Ei watched as Yae Miko rescued the Traveler. After the Traveler woke, Yae asked for the Traveler's help to try to overturn Ei's will.
She even crafted the "Anti-Raiden Shogun Special Training," truly going all out.
But to Ei, it didn't feel good.
Put nicely, it was saving Inazuma's people—using meticulous planning to wake Ei from her stubborn Eternity.
But put bluntly, it was: my Electro Archon friend is stuck in self-obsession and can't even understand true Eternity anymore—go slap her awake so she looks at the world again.
Ei's expression darkened.
Even so, she understood Miko's good intentions.
What she truly couldn't understand was… even her own familiar was resisting her. Did that mean her definition of Eternity really had a problem?
That self-doubt was Ei's greatest confusion.
First it was the Kanjou Commission and Tenryou Commission—not truly betraying her, but secretly colluding with the Fatui.
The Yashiro Commission was loyal, yet still had to join the Traveler in resisting her.
Inazuma's governance was a mess.
Watatsumi had a Resistance.
Even her own familiar was training the Traveler to oppose the Shogun.
Any single matter might not shake Ei.
But when everything appeared at once—even a believer of Eternity had to waver after hundreds of years.
Had she… truly been wrong?
Had she truly ended up alone because of it?
Ei's eyes grew gradually lost. Before today, she believed in her definition of Eternity and her policies.
But now she began to ask whether Eternity was right or wrong.
If she was right, why was everyone resisting her?
Even loyal subordinates and her closest friend and familiar were resisting her.
But if she was wrong…
Then what meaning did all she had done have? Was it all a mirage, a dream? Was her Eternity nothing but self-righteousness?
After a silence, Ei exhaled softly and continued watching.
After the special training came the Tenryou Commission arc. Ei didn't react much, but she was interested in the duel before the throne.
As Inazuma's wanted criminal and the Shogun's greatest variable, the Traveler challenged the duel. Given the Shogun's temperament, win or lose, neither the Traveler nor the Fatui Harbinger would likely leave unscathed.
Sure enough.
After the Shogun struck down La Signora, she allowed the Traveler to leave Tenshukaku standing—acknowledging the victor's honor.
But the instant the Traveler stepped out, she attacked from behind, slashing down.
Even if it wasn't the Musou no Hitotachi, it was still divine power—not something easily blocked.
Just as the blade was about to fall, Ei exhaled.
This was the Raiden Shogun.
Letting the victor leave standing honored the duel.
But once outside Tenshukaku, it was time to settle accounts.
As the greatest variable to Eternity, the Shogun would never let the Traveler go.
But then the camera shifted to Kazuha.
"There will always be life on earth that dares to face the might of thunder."
The boy clenched his fists, his eyes trembling—then he moved like an arrowed bird, throwing himself between the Traveler and the Shogun, blocking that overwhelming slash.
"This…"
Ei's expression changed drastically.
Not because a human had blocked the Shogun's attack.
But because, before the most terrifying and supreme thunder of the mortal world, someone truly dared to throw their life away to block it. That required unimaginable courage—and utterly resolute faith.
And behind that faith was resistance to the Eternity rules.
Ei watched him push the blade away, her purple eyes growing even more lost…
Facing thunder without fear of death—beyond saving a friend, it was the resolve to resist the Shogun.
Was Eternity truly wrong?
Thinking of that line, clarity rose in Ei like a breeze dispersing fog.
Perhaps the one truly blocking the Shogun's strike wasn't the boy.
It was the wishes and convictions of countless Inazuman people behind him.
As expected.
Later, the Traveler was pulled into the Plane of Euthymia to fight the real "her." Though the Traveler wasn't her match, at the crucial moment, the people's wishes came surging in, gathering into immense power and flowing into the Traveler.
Under the intensity of those wishes, even the Plane of Euthymia grew dim.
Even though Ei had anticipated this, she still felt complicated.
Once, that power belonged to her.
The people's faith and wishes belonged to Electro Archon.
But now they chose the Traveler, and together they would defeat Inazuma's god. Even if it hadn't happened yet, Ei already felt defeated.
Hearing the Traveler and Miko's persuasion in the story, Ei's heart finally wavered completely.
She still believed Eternity itself wasn't wrong—but now it seemed her definition of Eternity was wrong.
At the very least, the Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree had to be lifted.
Especially after watching her story quest arc, Ei's thoughts quietly changed.
Though none of it had happened yet, she felt fortunate.
Better to fix things now than to let them rot until they became that terrible.
This wasn't because she trusted Ken's prophecy—it was because she trusted Ken's ability.
Someone capable of forcibly dragging her out of the Plane of Euthymia had no reason to lie about this.
Moreover, Yae Miko and Ayaka were on Blue Star—at minimum, that showed deep dissatisfaction with the Sakoku Decree.
The decrees must be lifted.
As for Eternity's definition and Inazuma's development, she needed to reconsider.
Inazuma had suffered too much. She couldn't let her people pay for her mistakes again.
More importantly…
In her story quest, she saw her sister.
That strengthened Ei's resolve: she had to take responsibility.
"Ei, have you wavered?"
At that moment, the Shogun's voice sounded in her mind.
They shared one body. As Ei watched, the Shogun also perceived everything, naturally sensing Ei's mental changes.
"You've wavered?" Ei asked back in consciousness.
In the story, she had dueled the Shogun.
When she created the Shogun, she set the highest command as Eternity. Even if Ei changed her mind, she would become the Shogun's enemy.
But now Ei wasn't worried.
The Shogun pursued Inazuma's Eternity, but she wasn't an empty puppet—she had her own thoughts.
Even if those thoughts centered on Eternity, it didn't mean she ignored people's lives. It was just that after years of sitting above others, she was easily guided into setting wrong decisions like the decrees.
The Shogun had Ei's memories and abilities. Like Ei, she loved people.
In the game story, the Shogun hadn't personally realized all these issues, so she couldn't understand Ei's new decision, leading to their duel.
But now it was different.
Now both had watched this prophecy together. The Shogun also understood the harm of these decisions. Even if she couldn't instantly reverse her thinking, her thought process would inevitably shift.
"This body is the most supreme and noble being in the mortal world. The Eternity it seeks is the firmest will—your will then, your will now, and your will in the future."
The Shogun's voice was cold.
Ei spoke softly: "Yes. My will is still to lead Inazuma's people toward a beautiful and happy Eternity. But the errors produced along the road to Eternity must be corrected."
Khaenri'ah's disaster was still vivid to her.
Her original intention wouldn't change—but the rules and road toward Eternity had to.
The Shogun fell silent, as if pondering Ei's words.
Ei said no more.
Even if the Shogun still couldn't understand, Ei didn't mind fighting her as in the story.
Even if she fought herself, she would still win by half a move.
Once she decided something, she would see it done.
Her final decision after all that struggle:
Lift the Vision Hunt Decree and Sakoku Decree—immediately.
"Whew…"
Perhaps because she'd finally understood, Ei felt a lightness in her chest.
It was the first time since her sister's death that she'd felt this.
It wasn't bad.
Leaving the quiet study, Ei looked at the bright sky and blue heavens beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, her thoughts swirling.
Had Inazuma's people gone a long time without such ease?
But then… seeing a certain Kitsune by the window reading Blue Star novels with relish, Ei spoke meaningfully:
"Miko, I think we need to talk."
Now that the serious business was clear, she might as well settle accounts.
Yae Miko, reading a light novel: "???"
…