Whoosh!
In the next second, he flashed behind her... leaning close to her ear and whispering softly,
"Kill me, and your conscience will never be at peace—because I'm your 'brother,' one of the few family members you have left."
As soon as he finished, he reached out, trying to touch her face.
Slap!
But she instantly knocked his hand away.
"Stop playing games with me... What exactly do you want to say?"
Turning her head, she fixed him with an icy gaze, her cold, beautiful voice carrying a sharp edge.
The Balladeer, however, didn't get angry over her rejection. He merely glanced at the hand she had just struck away, smiled faintly, and once again met the glare of the woman before him—her amethyst eyes glowing with lightning.
"What do I want to say? Naturally, I want to recruit you."
He didn't bother with pretense, stating his goal bluntly.
"...Recruit me?"
The Shogun looked at him with suspicion.
"That's right... Haa... You really are pitiful now. Like a puppet being manipulated, performing the tedious, mechanical duties of the 'Raiden Shogun.'"
"..."
The Shogun stayed silent, her expression unmoved—though there was a faint sense she was waiting for him to continue.
"Shogun... my dear sister, join us—join the Fatui!"
The Balladeer's expression turned fervent, almost fanatical—as if he were preaching some grand truth. He paced back and forth beside her.
"Join us! You and I, together—we would be unstoppable! Forget Inazuma... no, even if you care about it, you can still secretly aid us from the shadows!"
"In return... we'll make you stronger! You and I are both puppets—I know what it feels like to be one. I know what you're thinking. We have the technology, the means to evolve together!"
As he circled her again and again, his tone was almost hypnotic, as if he were trying to brainwash her—using their shared nature as puppets as his persuasion.
"..."
She was silent for a moment, then—
"Heh..."
A soft laugh escaped her lips. It was the first time he had ever seen her smile—and ironically, it was while mocking him.
"What are you laughing at?!"
The Balladeer snapped irritably.
"You want me to abandon her? To abandon the Inazuma she loves?"
Her voice was calm yet filled with disbelief.
Both of them knew exactly who that 'her' referred to.
"She's using you! Using you to excuse her own cowardice! She wants you to shoulder all her burdens, all her sins! She's draining you—draining everything you are!"
"You're nothing but a tool to her—a means to achieve her ridiculous 'Eternity!' Why can't you see it?!"
Thud!
He struck his own chest violently.
"Look at me! I'm proof! She abandoned me—and she'll abandon you the same way! In her eyes, we're nothing but tools—disposable trash!"
After his furious shouting, the Balladeer took a deep breath.
"So... rebel, my sister. Stop being so blind. She doesn't deserve your devotion... The Inazuma she loves? Hah... to hell with her Inazuma—"
"Have you said enough?"
The Shogun's cold voice cut through his rant.
"!"
The Balladeer froze, glaring at her with blazing hatred—as if silently asking why she still refused to see reason.
"How charming must she be, to make you so hopelessly loyal? Did she program you with some kind of self-destruct trigger—so that the moment you rebel, you'll boom explode? Huh?!"
He shouted as he strode closer, glaring inches from her face, his every word seething with frustration.
"Haa... You don't understand her, nor do you understand me."
The Shogun gazed at him calmly, her lips parting as her voice—cool and steady—answered him.
She could still remember vividly—the moment she first opened her eyes, and saw her crying with joy, smiling through tears... how she would often cling to her in both Tenshukaku and the Plane of Euthymia like a child, how she would confide all her worries to her, and how she would only cry where the Shogun could see.
Cowardly?
Yes... Ei was indeed timid now—but so what? Who decreed that gods must be flawless? After losing her sister, what she needed was warmth and companionship—not coercion or abandonment.
"..."
The Balladeer fell silent.
These delicate emotions—the subtle bond between two souls—how could a man consumed by hatred and revenge ever understand? That was why she didn't get angry. Because... it simply wasn't worth it.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe she is using me, draining me, and maybe... one day, she'll cast me aside."
Her violet eyes softened with a gentle warmth, and a faint smile curved her lips.
"But even so... I... this vessel... will never abandon her of my own will—nor bear any resentment."
"Why?"
The Balladeer froze for a brief moment at her expression, then asked blankly.
"Because... this vessel is her puppet—hers alone. And she is... my mother. Isn't that reason enough?"
She said it firmly. Though shy inside, she still spoke the truth aloud.
"..."
The Balladeer fell silent again. His deep violet bangs hid his eyes, and the brim of his hat cast his face in shadow, making it impossible to read his expression. The Shogun, however, continued to watch him closely, as if trying to see through the silence.
"Heh... hehehe... hahahahahaha~!"
But the next second, his laughter broke out—wild, twisted, almost deranged.
The Shogun's brows drew together slightly. Did his system malfunction? Why is he acting like this?
"Haa..."
The laughter stopped, leaving only a long sigh.
"So this... is a 'heart'..."
He lifted his gaze, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.
"This is... the 'heart' I've longed for!!"
His voice rose in a shout.
"She gave you her 'heart'—you, the second puppet! But not me—the original prototype!"
As he spoke, his expression twisted with rage, his eyes locking onto the Shogun's chest. Seeing this, she instinctively took a half step back, readying herself to defend at any moment.
In his gaze, the figure before him—no, the puppet—seemed to glow from within. It was as though he could see right through her chest, to the brilliant, dreamlike violet light pulsing there.
Ah... the radiance of hope itself—so beautiful, so divine, as if beckoning him closer, its alluring fragrance intoxicating.
That was the true light... the light of a god. The soul of a god. The heart of a god!
Step... step...
He moved forward like a puppet himself, hollow-eyed, each step dragging closer to the purple-haired woman before him. Lightning began to crackle in his palm.
"Do you know, my dear sister... I've been jealous of you from the very beginning! Why... why did she give everything to you, and throw me away?! Why?!"
Boom!
In the next instant, his body turned into blinding lightning, charging straight at her!
"!"
The Shogun was ready—she had expected this. But unlike other foes, this one was far more unpredictable. Just as he passed in front of her—he vanished again!
Zzt!
Then reappeared right behind her.
"It's mine now!!"
The Balladeer's face twisted into a snarl as he appeared behind her, his claws glowing with crackling lightning that distorted the air itself, stabbing toward the left side of her back—where her heart would be!
The Shogun's eyes narrowed. In the same instant, her form dissolved into lightning—flashing behind him! Her hand, wreathed in thunder, formed a knife edge and sliced toward his neck!
"Heh..."
The Balladeer gave a low chuckle, ducking swiftly to evade the strike. His movements were light, fluid—he spun midair, summoning a blade from the void, and swung it at her in a flash of drawn steel!
Zzt!
The Shogun's strike missed, but before her stance even reset, her body once again dissolved into lightning, reappearing instantly!
Clack!
This time, she appeared beside him—her hand shot out, gripping his wrist tightly, stopping his sword mid-swing.
"Tch!"
The Balladeer clicked his tongue and tried to move his other hand—but she caught that too, locking both wrists in an unyielding grip before him.
Zzt! ×2
In that moment, both of them simultaneously released a surge of lightning from their bodies. Blinding electricity exploded outward, filling the chamber. The force scorched the air, scattering dust and distorting space, while massive shockwaves blasted everything nearby—the Fatui soldiers, the Traveler, even Paimon—sending them all flying!
Cracks split across the floor beneath their feet as violet lightning orbs floated up around them, circling like twin storms locked in combat.
"Die... and afterward, that 'heart' will be mine!"
The Balladeer burst forth with a violent surge of energy, his voice echoing eerily, growing distant and hollow.
"It doesn't belong to me... and it certainly doesn't belong to you."
It was a true soul—how could she possibly allow him to take it?
"You... bastard!"
The Balladeer's face twisted with fury, his glare so fierce it seemed as though he wanted to burn holes into her.
"Ei... is not as heartless as you think. Perhaps you've misunderstood her. But as you are now, you have no right to expect her to feel for you—let alone offer you anything."
The Shogun restrained him, her voice cold and unyielding.
"Shut up!!"
He roared, summoning a whirlwind of lightning that sent her hair wildly fluttering—but even amidst the chaos, the Shogun remained unmoved.
"You really think I won't strike you down? You're wrong... To me, you're nothing but a hopeless lunatic—not my kin."
As she spoke, her eyes narrowed, lightning gleaming menacingly within her pupils.
In that instant, cold sweat trickled down the Balladeer's neck. He sensed a deadly glint flash toward the side of his head!
Whoosh!
A rift shaped like the eye of Electro opened beside him. From it, Engulfing Lightning pierced through, wrapped in a torrent of thunder, thrusting straight toward his temple—the blade wreathed in lightning that rippled through the air like a storm about to burst.
"!!"
The Balladeer's mind raced frantically, reacting in less than a second. But with both his hands restrained, he had no way to dodge—only his legs could move.
He raised his leg high, aiming a sharp kick at her knee. The Shogun's gaze dropped slightly, reading his motion—then raised her own leg, meeting his attack head-on!
Bang!
Their legs collided with a thunderous impact, sending shockwaves rippling through the violet mist around them.
The Balladeer wrenched free of her grip in that instant. The naginata missed its mark, grazing across his forehead and slicing through his bangs before embedding itself into the wall behind him!
Boom!
The wall exploded, scattering dust and smoke through the air. Using the momentum, the Balladeer leapt backward, then transformed into lightning, clinging to the wall. He wiped the blood from his forehead, and as he stared at the crimson on his fingers, hatred flashed in his deep violet eyes. He licked the blood off his hand with a twisted smile.
Step... step...
The Shogun walked forward, and Engulfing Lightning, lodged in the shattered wall, rose into the air as if alive—flying back into her grasp.
Whoosh, whoosh!
With one hand, she twirled the heavy naginata several times with effortless grace before leveling it behind her in a poised battle stance.
"...Heh."
The Balladeer sneered, his tone dripping with scorn. That damned woman had truly given her everything, hadn't she? The more he thought of his own painful past, the more furious he became—his eyes full of jealousy and madness.
"Being pampered in Tenshukaku must've been nice, huh... little princess~?"
Landing gracefully back on the ground, he taunted casually.
"..."
The Shogun frowned slightly.
"Not happy? Heh... of course not. Our little princess can't handle being insulted~!"
He continued to mock her.
"I may have never met you before, but after today... I think I've seen right through you."
The Shogun finally spoke.
"..."
This time, it was his turn to frown.
"You... are shallow. Pathetically so."
"!"
The Balladeer's teeth clenched.
"You call yourself my brother, but how ironic... You have none of a brother's dignity. All I see before me is a deranged Fatui fool, drunk on his own madness."
"Heh... what else could I be?!!"
Boom!
The Balladeer exploded into a storm of lightning, dashing across the walls of the chamber at blinding speed, circling around her like a furious thunderstorm.
The Shogun's gaze followed his every movement. To her eyes, his motions were perfectly clear—even his sneering expression as he flashed around her.
Zzt!
In that instant, the Balladeer stopped mid-motion, clinging to the ceiling like a gecko. Then, spreading open the magatama-like purple catalyst floating around him, he summoned forth an immense surge of Electro energy that condensed in the air—forming countless violet spikes. Their number was so great they covered the entire ceiling.
"Die!!"
With his hysterical scream, the rain of thunderous spikes poured down in a blinding storm.
Zzt!
The Shogun, seeing this, turned into a brilliant flash of lightning—brighter and swifter than the Balladeer's—darting effortlessly between the storm of spikes. Despite the overwhelming number, not a single one struck her. She moved as if intangible, weaving through the downpour like a phantom of thunder, causing the Balladeer to click his tongue in irritation.
"Tch..."
Not only that—she began to swing her Engulfing Lightning with perfect precision, cleaving away every spike that neared her. Her body shimmered within a protective shield, utterly unaffected.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Blades of lightning several meters long whirled around her like a meat grinder, expanding outward through the chamber. The naginata moved in her hand as light as a reed, cutting through the incoming spikes in a dazzling display of motion—dozens of afterimages trailing in her wake.
"This woman... Did that damned woman teach her every technique she knew?"
The Balladeer muttered under his breath, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his temple.
But in the moment his focus wavered, the Shogun's gaze snapped up at him. A flash of thunder—and she appeared midair, swinging her naginata down toward his neck!
"!"
The Balladeer jolted back to awareness, panic flickering in his eyes. He instantly conjured a shimmering purple barrier from the void before him.
Boom!
The blade struck the barrier, the impact sending out a violent shockwave that hurled him to the ground.
Thud...
He grit his teeth and forced himself upright, pain flaring in his legs. As he raised his head, two slender legs entered his view—her legs. He looked up, only to meet the Shogun's cold, unflinching eyes.
Without hesitation, she spun her naginata in a full arc, aiming once again for his neck.
"Tch..."
The Balladeer hissed, lowering his body just in time to narrowly evade the strike. The naginata embedded itself into the wall behind him. As he tried to dart away, the Shogun's form flared with lightning—she gripped the lodged naginata and dragged it sideways with immense force!
Crash!!
A sweeping blade of energy tore across the chamber, horizontally slicing through the walls. The wave of lightning barely grazed the Balladeer's hat, shredding it in two and revealing his face in full.
He staggered back, creating distance between them, then wiped at the shallow cut on his cheek. His expression contorted into a snarl once more—rage and madness overtaking reason.
Before him, his magatama catalyst floated, glowing faintly. Deep violet particles gathered into countless sword-like thorns.
Hsshh!Whrr!
Under his control, the living thorns intertwined, spinning into dense, vortex-like formations that twisted in midair—like a swarm of deep-sea creatures with no gaps between them. With a snap of his fingers, they surged toward the Shogun all at once!
The sheer wind pressure blew her kimono and hair wildly, crackling lightning coursing through the whirling maelstrom as it painted the entire room violet. Even the ground beneath her feet cracked from the power.
His strength... was more than she expected. She had assumed he was just another unstable puppet, but clearly, he lived up to his title as a Fatui Harbinger. Perhaps his systems had been enhanced—his true potential forcibly unlocked.
She recalled what Ei had once said about the prototype—the so-called "Kunikuzushi." Back then, Ei had sealed his immense power to prevent disaster... But now, that seal was gone. Worse, his power had been amplified.
Boom!
Electricity flared across the Shogun's entire body, her eyes glowing with a mystical violet light. Her hair shimmered with thunderous brilliance, and behind her manifested the Chakra Desiderata.
The world around her was illuminated in pale lavender radiance—soft yet absolute—banishing the Balladeer's dark, corrupted lightning entirely. The Electro shield before her held firm, stopping the oncoming vortex of thorns in its tracks.
They would go no further.